Dublin School of Magic and Magical Studies
by qyzur
Summary: A story set in the familiar world of Harry Potter with new characters and a new school and new houses.


Claire groaned as her alarm clock blared at her to prepare for yet another school day. She kept her eyes closed but reached her hand towards the alarm. She plopped her hand on the alarm and felt for the off button. She finally found it, and it was quiet, serene, and peaceful again. She rubbed her tired eyes and eventually sat up in her bed. After a few moments, she squinted them open, and looked out of her window. The bright, morning sun gently warmed her. She sat like this for a while she recalled her dream.

She was hunched over, flying on a broom. The sky was a dark grey and it was filled with huge, full clouds covering all traces of the sky. It was so dark, but she remembered feeling so alive and free. This made Claire smile; she knew that soon her dream would unfold and become a reality for her. Suddenly, sleepiness began to spread throughout Claire, and she placed her elbows on her knees so her head could rest in her hands. She closed her eyes and felt her happiness begin to dissipate. She already knew about the day ahead of her.

Claire thought about why she was different from other people. She smirked. Well, it was _actually_ fairly obvious. Claire had magical powers, just like her mother. Her father and two sisters did not have these powers, it was just her. And for that matter, no one else she knew outside of her mother's family possessed powers. It was so simple and yet so complicated. Claire let out a hefty sigh. Claire tried to make sense of how something her mother claimed was a huge honor and gift was such a dreaded part of her life. Claire knew this was temporary. One day, she would be accepted into one of the finest schools in Ireland to study how to be a proper witch. Well, hopefully she would be accepted. It was Claire's biggest desire to be accepted to the Dublin School of Magic and Magical Studies.

A thin, tight line formed on her mouth as Claire thought about her current school. She didn't want to go to and began to frown. She pondered about what terrible things her classmates would say and do to her. The tormenting and teasing grew worse each day. She lifted her head from her hands and her frown deepened even more. A tear fell on her hand. She furrowed her eyebrows and squinted her eyes. She shook her head in frustration.

"Claire, stop. No more crying," she scolded to herself. She took a deep breath and let out a noisy exhale. She gently shook her head again, wanting to shake the memories out of her head forever. After wiping her eyes and letting her frustration brew inside her, she scooted closer to the edge of her bed until her bare feet touched the hard, cold, wooden floor. She shivered and quickly made her way downstairs to the kitchen.

Claire looked at the clock above the stove and immediately panicked. She quickly darted back into her room, threw her clothes around her room until she found her school uniform, then ran back downstairs. She snatched a piece of fruit from the basket on the counter and ran out the door. She checked her watch. _Thank goodness, right on time._ She exhaled a sigh of relief and slowed her pace as she made her way to school.

Claire got through the day, surprised that it was not as terrible as she anticipated it to be. No one said or did anything tormenting to her today. She did sigh when she realized her classmates completely ignored her. But, she knew she preferred that to the torment. Claire thought about her friends. She felt they also had a nice day as well. She smiled. Without even recognizing it, her walk became a little bit more lively and peppy as she made her way to her home.

Claire stopped walking briefly when she saw her door was open. _Odd._ Usually, her parents were still gone at work. Claire noticed her parents' cars near her home. She still couldn't understand what could have possibly brought them home so early. When Claire entered her foyer, she heard her mother talking to her father in the other room. She began to hang her coat, scarves, and gloves in the closet. She sat and began to peel off her boots. Claire took one off, and began to work on the other. She stopped and perked her ear towards the voices. She knew she heard a voice, but it was _not_ her mother's voice. Claire wondered if this was the reason why her parents were home already. She quickly took her boot off and quietly walked into the hall. Claire quieted her breathing and listened to the mysterious woman's voice.

"…However, due to this situation, I wanted to deliver the letter myself and explain what this means for your family, Ms. Wil- … er, my apologizes … Mrs. Kavanagh. Sorry, old habits," the woman said with a quiet laugh, then continued in a more serious tone, "I hope you understand the necessity of this."

"Thank you, Professor. This is anything but typical, especially for my family, and I realize how dangerous it would be if word spread in the Muggle world about a magical school." Said Elizabeth.

Claire listened but was puzzled. "What? A 'magical school' is what they're talking about? Is this a professor from the Dublin School of Magic and Magical Studies?" She thought. She focused once she heard her father.

"Yes, as Elizabeth said, we are well aware of the gravity this situation would cause. I understand what I am being asked as a non-magical parent. We have not spoken about the magical school with anyone outside of the Wilson family since I found out about such a thing existing." Explained Claire's father, Ronan. He continued, "So, yes. Consider your request already done."

"Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Kavanagh. I cannot thank you enough for your understanding. Please write to me with any inquires. I'll be taking my leave, unless there is more to discuss," said the woman.

Claire heard the rummage of noise in the other room for the three standing up and moving into the other room. Her eyes became wide and she grew alarmed. She could not be caught by her parents. She quickly sprinted down the hallway behind her that led to the stairs. She ran up to the middle of the staircase where she knew she would not be seen when the woman left. Claire waited. And waited. And continued to wait. Claire was puzzled again. She decided to walk into the kitchen. Claire saw her parents hugging one another when she entered.

"Mom? Dad? What's going on? Who was that woman you were speaking to?" Claire nervously asked. She knew they would wonder how she knew about it when they did not suspect she was home. But Claire's curiosity was burning to know.

Her parents broke their hug and faced her. It was her mother who spoke first. "Claire, there is a letter for you on the counter. Why don't you open it?"

Claire sighed and walked to the counter. She knew this wasn't going to end well. She looked at the large envelope. It was large, and her name was written in an elegant cursive. She opened the envelope carefully and read the letter.

 _Dear Ms. Kavanagh,_

 _We are pleased to inform you on your acceptance into the Dublin School of Magic and Magical Studies. Please fi…._

Claire's mouth dropped open. She stopped reading and looked at her parents. Her mother was smiling and had tears in her eyes. "I was accepted into the Dublin School of Magic and Magical Studies?" She asked.

"Yes, you were Claire. We're very proud of you. You'll begin in a few months at the start of the new school year." Claire's father explained. Claire squealed in excitement and hugged her mom. Her mother laughed, her tears falling, and hugged her back. Claire couldn't believe it, her dream was coming true.

Nyssa rolls over reaching for her squawking phone. She fumbles with it. Her eyes were glued shut with sleep. It silences and she lets out a sigh as she stares at the plain white ceiling. It was always plain but it was always better than getting out of bed on a Saturday during the Winter break. She shivers as the frigid air flooded in as she threw back the covers. Her mood instantly brightens as she remembers that today she gets her acceptance letter- hopefully - from the Dublin School of Magic and Magical Studies. It wasn't as prestigious as the one in England but it was the best one Ireland had to offer.  
She grabs some clothes and yawns as she walks to the bathroom past her brother's spotless and perpetually empty room to get ready for the day. She always helped her father clean his office on Saturdays so she would be allowed to hang out with her friends on the weekend.

The downtown Dublin townhouse her family owned was near the government district and considered one of the more desirable locations, but there were almost no kids her age. When school was in session, she had to get a private tutor two days a week and take the train to a different part of the city. She steps outside behind her father having already kissed her mother goodbye. Her arms were tight around her body in a futile attempt to ward off the cold. She imagined her wool coat being colder on the inside than the morning air. The only respite was the steaming bagel clutched in her gloved hand as she waits for her father to unlock the door to the auto parked at the curb.

Later that afternoon, she resists the urge to run up the stairs. It would only earn her a disappointed look from her father who thought such things were 'unladylike'. She carefully wipes off the thin layer of freshly fallen snow from her boots as she takes both coats to the coat-room and hangs them placing the boots in their designated spot. She rejoins her parents in the sitting room where she sits on the sofa and clasps her hands in her lap lest she fidget. Her mother is reading the mail and talking to her father. Nyssa looks around the room, everywhere but at the thick parchment letter on the side table. The family owl marking their family as wealthy having imported it from Britain. The frosty designs on the window overlooking the street where the snow was slowly accumulating.

"Nyssa." Her mother's voice snaps her attention to her parents who are looking at her holding the open letter, her open letter.

"Congratulations." Her father says.  
It takes a second to register as she looks between them and breaks out into a grin. Her heart pounding in her chest as she runs over to them and hugs them both. "Thank you." She says repeatedly. Her parents smile at each other over her head. "We are proud of you."

The three of them embrace and Nyssa closes her eyes as relief floods her body. The memory of this moment would endure the rest of her life.

 _Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock._

Claire stared at the clock in Mr. Griengot's classroom. In 3 minutes, she would walk; well, actually run; out of his classroom and never return to the dreaded school. She would never have to listen to Mr. Griengot blabber on about maths, she would never have to endure the terrible classmates, and she certainly wouldn't have to ever step foot in this school.

1 minute.

Claire closed her eyes and smiled to herself. This was it. She was almost free. She opened her eyes again and glued them to the clock.

 _7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1_

Claire sprang from her desk as the bell ringed and was out the door before anyone else. She started to run down the halls while they were still empty. Any minute, they would be crowded with students that were just as eager to start their four months of freedom. She didn't want to be stuck in that building any longer than she had to. Once Claire made it outside, she felt her entire body begin to relax. She let out a sigh of relief and slowed her pace.

"Finally, freedom," breathed Claire.

Claire sat in her family's garden, taking in her final days in the Muggle world. It was one week before orientation. She still couldn't wrap her mind around the concept that there were even multiple worlds, let alone a magical one. Claire turned her head to the screeching gate. She saw her mother and father entering into the garden. Her father held the gate. Claire smiled at them. It was time.

"Ready, Claire?" Elizabeth said warmly. Claire nodded and got up from her comfy spot underneath the small tree.

Claire, Elizabeth, and Ronan made their way to their car. Elizabeth drove, which Claire found odd but she understood why. Her mother would know where to park and how to enter the magical world. Claire was obviously still learning. Her father? Well, he was just there for moral support.

Elizabeth drove down a narrow, brick alley; it was barely large enough for their car. While the hot afternoon sun was still lighting the sky, the alley was dark, shaded, and cool. Once Elizabeth parked their car, the three got out and squeezed their way past the narrow gap left between the car and the brick wall. Once in front of the car, there was more space, yet Ronan and Claire formed a single line behind Elizabeth who confidently took the lead. She walked towards a wall that created a dead end in the alley. Elizabeth walked towards the very end of the alley and stood in front of a brick wall. Ronan stood back, but Claire got close to her mother. She was enthralled with everything and didn't want to miss a moment.

Claire put her left hand on a brick and began to firmly push against it. Soon, the wall glided a part. Elizabeth turned and smiled at the stunned, wide-eyed Ronan and Claire. She waved at them to follow her. The two followed Elizabeth into the pitch-black abyss.

Nyssa pauses in the middle of the summer reading book assigned for the summer before starting her first year at the magic school to look at her phone. A notification pops up that she is going shopping for school supplies with her dad. A quick glance out the window unsurprisingly shows the clouds hanging heavily over the city and a light drizzle splattering against her window. She says a silent prayer that the sun would come out as she heads downstairs to find her dad. He was sitting in his chair by the window drinking tea and reading the paper. The house was silent today. Her mom was at work as usual on a Saturday afternoon.

But today was special she would get to pick out her stuff. Unfortunately she wouldn't know what house she was in but she hoped it was Skirithar like her brother and parents.  
They leave and drive through the depressing drizzle and park outside a older part of the city by the canals. She follows her dad curiously not knowing what to expect as they enter a traditional pub. The interior smells of smoke and greasy food. She waits impatiently as her dad turns with a wink. "Get anything you like."

She walks with him down the steps to the canal walk stepping over a discarded food wrapper and takes a bit of her burger. It was rare that anyone in her family allowed this kind of indulgence but she didn't mind in this case.

She sees a couple small barges tied up along the side and he gently directs her onto one of them. He man smiles knowingly and pushes away from the bank as Nyssa and her father stand on the prow. As they pass under a bridge she feels a small pop of pressure in her ears and suddenly the sun is out. She looks around the banks of the canal are unchanged but beyond that everything was green. They disembark onto the side and climb the stairs. A vast expanse of soft green irish turf extends in front of them. It is interrupted by small stone shops with wooden signs hanging over them. And people. There were so many. The noises and colors were all fresh and crisp as if the place never aged. In the distance past it all she could see the rest of Dublin extending onward never ceasing in its gloomy progress.

A man selling some kind of candy swings by and her father passes her a piece and the man a small strange copper. "We are here." He sighs happily. She hadn't seen him like this in a while. "Now where to start." He muses.

The outside light slowly faded as the brick wall closed itself from Muggle World behind Claire. As soon as the halves met, thousands of candles lit in unison so the three could see their surroundings. In front of them stood a man. Claire looked the man up and down. He was fairly tall and large, and he wore thin, circular, metal glasses that did not seem to match his appearance at all. His long, matted, grey hair went down to his upper arm. Despite his appearance, the man warmly smiled at Elizabeth.

"Hello, Elizabeth. I remember the last time I saw you… You had just finished your last exam and were graduating from the school," said the man. He gestured towards Claire.

"Ah! And now you're back to take your daughter!" He said with excitement. He smiled at Claire and she felt her cheeks grow warm as she politely, but shyly, returned one to him.

The man cleared his voice and continued in a much more serious voice. "However, I will need you to tell me the password."

Elizabeth's smile vanished. She still felt an abounding amount of happiness, but she realized the warm salutations were finished for now. She then said to the man. "Of course, Tarmin. The password is: Dracanae Ceto." Claire gave her mother an odd and confused look.

Tarmin gave her a quick nod and stepped aside. Claire couldn't help but stare at him as they walked by him and into a hallway. She then quickly looked at her mother. She did not seemed at all phased by the experience. Dissatisfied, she glanced at her father whose face indicated he was equally as taken aback from the strange encounter he just witnessed. Claire felt a tad bit better to know her father felt the same way she did. The three walked into the hall that became lighter and lighter as they progressed. Soon, the three were outside in a busy street. Claire looked at the crowds that walked in front of her. They all were dressed so differently. The people around her wore long, medievalist robes. No one seemed to mind her family though, despite that everything visible about them clearly indicated that they were out of place. Elizabeth smirked at her husband and daughter as they took in the new, magical world.

"Alright you two, let's go," said Elizabeth. The two followed her into the first shop. Claire felt herself become more relaxed and soon was enjoying herself. She walked around the store and gathered the materials she needed for school and day-to-day activities: robes, books, a broomstick, an owl, quills, containers of ink, and so many other things Claire didn't even knew truly existed. Her mother, father, and Claire carried their purchases down to the train station, well except for one of her new robes. She was so eager to try them on and decided to wear one. She wanted to be a part of the crowd, see what she looked like, and see her parents' reactions when she showed them her new outfit.

She was happy to see the joy in their eyes when she tried it on. Everything was already proving to be wonderful.

Nyssa stands close to her father her eyes going over the rows of buildings and the people moving in front of them. She stands slightly behind her father who begins to move purposefully through the crowd towards a larger building near what looks like a traditional station. It seems this was the one where she would get her robes and other clothes for the year.

The train station was just as busy as the streets and shops. While most people were dressed in robes, Claire noticed a few families that were clearly from the Muggle World. She also noticed she was not the only first year from the Muggle World who was just as eager to try on their required robes. While not everyone wore a robe, the clothes were still different from the ones in the Muggle World. It was quite clear who lived there and who lived in the magical world.

She finally decided to face her parents to see where they should go to next, as they had been standing in one spot for quite some time, but both of her parents were looking off in the distance. She noticed they were looking at a family – while Claire pondered that they looked familiar, she didn't think anything of it. She knew the chances of her knowing that magical family were slim to none.

Claire, now annoyed, said to her parents, "What are we doing exactly?"

Her mother, still clearly surprised, looked at Claire. However, she quickly recovered and smiled at Claire. Claire scanned her face for any clues that she might be hiding something from her, but she felt it was genuine. Once her mother began to speak, she stopped searching and listened.

Elizabeth eagerly said, "Claire, I know I have told you about my brother before. Would you like to meet him and his family?"

Nyssa comes out of the store clutching her own bags of robes and parchment, quills and ink. She still needed her books, a wand, a familiar, and ... She pauses going through her mental list as her father redirects. She glances up from her musings to see where they are going. It is a couple and their daughter wearing brand new robes. She rolls her eyes trying to mentally distance herself from someone so new to the world.

Claire gently smiled to signal her compliance with the situation, but she really wanted to say no. This was the last time she would she her mother and father for a while. It would have been nice to spend the day with them and without interruptions. Claire was displeased. She sighed and looked at her her supposed uncle's family. Claire's annoyance jolted away when she saw a girl, who was about her age she thought, that she safely assumed might be her cousin. It was hard to say because of her distance from her uncle. Claire hoped this girl was her cousin. It would be great to have a friend to rely on while at school and in a world that was so entirely new to her. Especially someone who was from the magical world. She decided that meeting her uncle and his family wasn't so bad. She wanted to meet her cousin, but she decided to wait until she met her uncle. She looked over towards her approaching uncle and genuinely smiled; her excitement was becoming evident.

Nyssa comes over curiously as her father, Theo embraces the other woman. "Elizabeth! Good to see you! I've missed you little sister." He smiles warmly and shakes the man's hand. "Ronan. Welcome to a little patch of our world." He says truly friendly.  
"This is Nyssa I'm sure you remember, from what, almost ten years ago?" His brow furrows as he tries to remember. "No matter. I assume this is Claire?" He addresses the brown haired girl in the robes Nyssa had spotted earlier. Nyssa nods respectfully. She had known of this family but never really interacted with them.

Claire tried her best to focus on her uncle as he spoke to her family, but she had such a difficult time. She was fairly certain the girl was her cousin, despite her non verbal, hostile introductions. Claire looked at the girl, Nyssa as her uncle said, and decided that while she might like to get to know her, it wouldn't be today. She noticed the girl nodded her head and look towards her mother. Claire scrunched her eyebrows. _Odd and hostile._ "Claire," said Elizabeth. While it was subtle, Elizabeth was bothered by her daughter's behavior while meeting her brother. Claire quietly laughed but was very embarrassed. Her first impressions were not going very well. She looked at her uncle and smiled. She felt out of place, but she wanted to be a part of the conversation. And she most certainly wanted to be more interactive than Nyssa. "Eh, sorry. Yes, I am Claire. It's very nice to meet you, Uncle…uh…" Oh God. She felt her pride deflate. Elizabeth jumped in to repair the conversation. "Theo. This is your Uncle Theo. But, yes! It has been quite some time since we've seen one another. We haven't been able to access the magical world as easily nor as much as we would have liked," Elizabeth explained. Ronan nodded, "We're quite proud of our Claire. Since she was accepted into the Dublin School of Magic and Magical Studies, we were allowed; well… _I_ was allowed; to visit before her final departure. It's quite nice." Claire decided to take matters into her own hands. She wanted this cousin to at least say something. "So, … Nyssa," Claire said, slowly saying her name to experiment how it felt as she said it, but then continued, "...What year are you at the School? I assume you go there, no?"

Nyssa finally turns her attention from her Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Ronan. It was painfully obvious they didn't belong. She could only imagine what her mother would say right now. And then she realized it probably wasn't the best thing in this situation.  
Snapping out of it she realizes the girl, her cousin, is staring at her and had asked her a question. "Hi, Claire. Uh no I'm a first year as well."

Theo shakes his head thinking nothing of the exchange. "Elly, how far are you into your shopping?" He motions to Nyssa who hands him their bags and he waves a hand carelessly and the bags shrink into the size of a coin and he pulls out a small velvet bag and drops them inside. "Alright then!:" He says cheerfully not really having waited for an answer. "This will be great. School shopping as a family again." He winks at Ronan and puts his arm around his sister.

Claire smiled and nodded at her cousin but felt the bucket of ice, cold water hit her face. She admitted she would rather have an acquaintance versus an enemy. She forced herself to bite her tongue from egging her cousin on any further. She would just have to make due with this. Claire reminded herself how excited she was earlier. She wasn't going to let this little bump in one friendship stop her. Things would not be like they were at her school. No, she just knew they wouldn't. She looked up at her parents and her uncle to see they were rekindling their relations quite nicely. "I see you're still quite efficient with your skills," laughed Elizabeth. She had a million questions to ask her brother. She was very much out of the loop being in the Muggle World. She knew from the very start that would be a downfall to leaving her family. "I don't remember the last time I did magic. It has to be at least 15 years, about the time when we moved to the Muggle side of Dublin. So, tell me Theo, how are things? How is Laura? And Mom and Dad? We write still, of course, but it's just not the same. So how is everything? Are you still at the Ministry of Magic? Mom told me Theodore was too… But, tell me how things are going." Elizabeth, definitely starting to feel at home again, took the lead in the shop and walked beside her brother. Ronan followed dutifully followed alongside Theo. He did have to admit, he was very intrigued and was equally as interested in learning about this world, now that he was here. Claire looked at her cousin, who was already walking behind the trio.

Theo walks alongside them catching his sister and his brother in law up on what's been happening. He tells her about his job and what Laura, his wife, was up to. He proudly informs them that indeed Theodore Jr. was a legal intern now.  
Nyssa notices that Claire seemed to be stuck as her dad and aunt and uncle walked off. She sighs and turns grabbing Claire's hand. "Come on." She smiles as she pulls her cousin into movement trying to comfort her but not feeling it herself it ended up feeling like a hollow gesture. "This your first time in a magical pocket?" She asks knowing already what the answer would be. "I've never used magic but I can't imagine having to live my entire life without it." She fidgets nervously tucking a strand of hair that escaped her dark ponytail behind her ear.

"Let's do wands first!" Theo proclaims as they turn to enter a shop just like any other. The wooden sign over the door depicting a single line as if that was enough explanation.

Claire was so taken aback by her cousin's blunt gesture. However, she decided to take it as a compliment. She reminded herself that despite being cousins, they had only known one another for a mere 5 minutes. "Yes, it is. I do know some about it of course. My mom and I are the only two that have powers in our family. My dad, elder sister, and younger sister do not. I don't really know why. We just never made our way back here. But that's okay," Claire said enthusiastically. "I'm happy to finally see this world. It's so amazing to see that all this, all these things... They're real," she breathed. Claire heard her uncle mention, "the wand shop," in passing. It gave Claire a topic of conversation. "So, Nyssa.. Your dad mentioned the wand shop. Have you been there before? I guess everyone has a wand here then?" Claire wrapped her robe around her tighter as the group walked over the overpass to the other store. Above the doors was a wooden sign that was hand carved. It read, "The Wizard and Witch Wand Store."

Nyssa shrugs. "I don't think you'll ever consider that 'fine' again." She puts emphasis on fine and rolls her eyes slightly to where Claire can't see. "Yep. Real." She shakes her head. Claire seems to get the impression she is nervous or something with her fast jerky movements and her accent thickening as if she spoke Gaelic also.

"I've not been here and no not everyone has a wand. They are only for enhancement and learners really. Advanced mages don't need a wand." She explains impatiently and quickly steps inside the shop leaving Claire outside as Theo smiles down at her as he holds the door.

The inside of the shop is almost entirely wood. Even the cushions on the chairs seem to be made from a living wood.  
A small middle aged woman comes out from behind a counter that comes up well past her waist. "Theo! Lizzie!" She embraces and kisses the siblings. "I knew this day would come. Welcome Welcome."

Claire walked into the shop, stunned. She stopped behind the her parents and uncle. Nyssa was unbelievable. She just didn't understand her. Claire made a mental note to keep her distance for the time being. While Claire was definitely agitated, she didn't want to be bothered by something so simple. Claire replayed the last few moments in her head and suddenly felt an incredible amount of guilt sink into her chest.

"She's just nervous, Claire. Calm. Down. Just leave her alone, this whole Going-To-A-Magical-School-Far-Far-Away thing is new to her too."

She didn't want to think about the moment anymore. Claire noticed her parents had walked to the front of the store, along with her uncle. They all were candid and delighted to see someone. She promptly continued to the front of the store, but paused and decided to walk around Nyssa; she didn't want to pester her. Claire intentionally, but casually, pretended to look at the ancient wands that were hung on the walls. While Claire did find the wands fascinating, she didn't want Nyssa to think she was bothered by her... Even though she probably was. Claire glanced over her shoulder and saw Nyssa standing where she was, not looking at her. She was away from everyone else. Claire decided it was safe to continue towards the front of the shop. She stopped next to her uncle and her mom, who were next to the counter. Both were smiling, hugging, and kissing this older woman who clearly worked there. Claire couldn't help but smile. Once the three separated. Claire took a small step forward so she was touching the counter. She got on her tiptoes and leaned into the counter. She was quite curious to pick a wand. She looked at the rows of wooden boxes along the wall. They all were locked. While the boxes were organized by number, they were all out of order. It confused Claire. "So, how does this work?" Claire said with a grin to her mother and uncle.

"You'll see," said Elizabeth, returning the grin.

The old lady cackles "Oh ho! See you shall. You've already begun." The counter beneath Claire begins to glow softly and a box on the wall does as well. "Hmm. Hmm." The woman watches. She hands Claire a bag. "Hold that." She directs her sternly and grins at the siblings who are looking on ignoring the muggle behind them. She turns to Nyssa. "You! Young lady." Nyssa's attention is drawn from Claire holding the sage green sack to the old lady. Come look at the counter. Nyssa goes over and peers into the counter which also glows slightly and a different box lights up. "Hmm. Hmm." She says again and hands her a black sack the same size and shape.

Nyssa curiously peers into the bag and sees nothing. But instead of reaching into it and pulling out something as she was supposed to she upends it on the counter to see all her options. The woman looks at her surprised. "What are you doing?" Theo scolds her. "You needed to pick a core." He points to the pile of materials on the counter now, phoenix feather, heartstring of dragon, and everything else.  
"No no! Interesting this is. Rare but an answer it is." She bustles over to the box Nyssa had lit up. She reaches in and pulls out a short greyish wand with silver rings around the smooth wood at even intervals. "Black ash. Silver accents. No core." She declares as she hands the wand to Nyssa who takes it. Nothing happens. "Perfect." The woman declares. "Now the other one." She goes over to Claire.

Claire stood there in amazement while everyone else was shocked and stunned. She watched Nyssa hold her new wand and stepped back. It was so surreal and strange to Claire. A few hours prior, she wasn't even aware that some of these things really existed; brooms, wands, cauldrons, magical creatures. While it was obvious this was a surprise to everyone, the old woman turned her attention to Claire. "Alright, alright," she snarled. "We don't have all day, now. You! Lizzie's daughter. Come here!"

Claire quickly shuffled a few steps closer to this woman. She was still holding the bag she gave her. "Alright, Claire. Pick your core." she calmly says, and directs her hand towards the bag she is holding.

Claire looked inside and saw an array of different items. A bright, colorful feather caught her attention. Claire picked it up carefully and held it out. The old woman smile and nodded. "I am not surprised," she says, satisfied with her choice.

She waddled over to the box that was softly glowing. She took the wand out and gave it to Claire. Claire looked at it and then returned her gaze to the woman. She still was smiling at Claire, waiting for her to say something. She sighed. "Your wand. This is your wand. The wood is made from the willow tree in Cannes. It comes from a fragile looking tree, but yet it is still surprisingly strong. It's very graceful, sacred, gentle. Of course, this is nothing to look over, Claire, but this feather. The feather you chose, … It was from Neidie. I suppose since you live in that... Muggle World of yours, you probably aren't familiar with this creature." She says knowingly.

Claire shyly shook her head. The old woman continued. "It's a very special bird in our world, Claire. They are delicate, graceful, and very beautiful. They're rare. But, the ones that do exist guard the sky from the evil magic."

Claire noticed her mother shift uncomfortably. "Well, I suppose that's all we have to do here. Thank you, Delia." Elizabeth said gratefully, nonetheless. Elizabeth turned and ushered everyone out of the shop.

Theo looks at his sister pointedly. Then at his brother in-law not sure how much of that he even understood.  
He breaks his gaze after she understands and looks at his daughter and niece. "Alright you two. Got the most important part out of the way. Let's get the rest of what's on your lists." He moves them in and out of stores quickly even storing Claire's stuff in a separate bag. After a long weary hour they have gotten books, both interesting and boring, potions supplies. He stops to consider for a moment letting everyone pause and finally take in what had just happened.

Claire watched her mother and uncle, and for the the first time that day - she decided to not talk and ask a million questions, but to simply observe. She had a feeling she would find out in due time, one way or another. Claire noticed her uncle looking intently at her mother. She furrowed her eyebrows and ignored everything… The cheerful families passing by and going from shop to shop. First years huddled near the street corners to show one another their newest, magical school supplies. Boisterous and loud street vendors selling their tasty treats. The chattering of customers gathered outside shops. Everything. Despite the clear happiness the magical world had, an eerie air was hanging over everyone. It was obvious. Claire noticed her mother attempt to discreetly glance back towards her. Her mother caught her eye contact and sheepishly smiled at Claire. Claire responded with a thin smile. She noticed her mother take a half of a step towards her uncle. She was saying something to him, but she couldn't make it out.

"Well, as you can imagine, Claire knows nothing about the evil powers. Does Nyssa know? Have you told her? She was just a child when this happened. Have you told her?" Elizabeth urgently whispered to Theo.

Theo shakes his head firmly at Elizabeth. Nyssa is aware of everything and is less discreetly staring at Claire. She doubts the truth of what she knows but still it bothers her. It wasn't her place to tell her cousin that those with Neidie cores usually wound up as the scouts and defense against dark arts specialists. The most dangerous roles in the magical realm outside of beast handling. Claire definitely was not like one of those everyone called a hero. She turns her attention to her father who rubs her head. "Time to head out. Your mother is off soon and we have to pick her up."  
Nyssa recognized the lie but didn't say anything. Instead she nods and goes and gives her Uncle Ronan and Aunt Elizabeth a hug. "Goodbye. It was nice to meet you." She pulls away as her father shakes Ronan's hand and hugs Elizabeth. And she glances at Claire half hoping she could avoid the super awkward hug.

Claire smiled at her uncle and hugged him. She looked at Nyssa, she was about to hug her, but decided to forgo it She smiled and softly said, "Well, it was nice to meet you Nyssa. I suppose I'll see you at the School of Magic then."

After the goodbyes, Nyssa and Theo walked off. Ronan, Elizabeth, and Claire briefly watched the two walk in the opposite direction. Elizabeth broke the silence. She clapped her hands together. "Alright. I say we have lunch, make our way to my parents' home after, then we can take you to the train station tomorrow. Sound okay?" She asked.

Claire and Ronan dutifully agreed. With Nyssa and Theo gone, it was back to following Elizabeth as though she were the mother goose. The two followed her in a single file line and stayed close. Elizabeth spotted a cafe. It would do. The three walked in and were soon seated. After the ordered and their drinks arrived, Elizabeth decided she needed to tell Claire about the evil magic.

"I know you do not have the biggest grasp with this world and what it has to offer, Claire. There are so many great things you will soon come to know." Elizabeth said with a smile. It soon faded though, and she grew very solemn. "But, you need to know about the Evil Magic."

Claire did not say anything to her mother. She kept looking at her, waiting for her to start. Elizabeth had closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and exhaled. She opened her eyes and began. "Twelve years ago, Claire, the magic world became a dangerous place. Another group in the magical world, the faeries, were mistreated for centuries. First it was forcing the population into servitude. And while that eventually ended, their rights were significantly restricted. While some wizards and witches joined the effort to improve their quality of living, it was not enough to truly make changes. Around the time twelve years ago, a faerie named Ealdun created a force. The force, Niidelhogg, took grave measures to make it clear the oppression, mistreatment, and inequality would end. Political buildings and workers were targeted. Even those that were working to improve the lives of the faeries. No one who worked in the political workforce was safe. Eventually, the wizard and witch community had to take action to protect themselves… It was out of hand. The Force was destroyed, temporarily. While they have not returned, they will."

Claire nodded her head, taking it in. She had questions but didn't know where to start. "Well, good to know."

Elizabeth nodded her head, and the three continued their lunch. No one spoke to each other the rest of the lunch and while the three traveled to Elizabeth's parent's home where they stayed the night before Claire moved into school the next day.

Nyssa looks at her father as they leave. "What?" She asks upset he wasn't saying anything.

"You know." He looks at her and she shrinks back into her seat as they drive through the rain.

"No." She says quietly.  
"You need to get off your high horse and make an effort with Claire. She hasn't had the easiest time. How would you like it if you knew you had something and most of your family envied you for it and you didn't feel like you belonged in school?" Theo says letting out an exasperated sigh. His daughter was so thick headed sometimes.

"I. I don't know." Nyssa says quietly. "It isn't something I really thought about. She was just so awkward and such a tourist."

"You were too in a way. But I suppose she takes after your Aunt Elizabeth in that way." Theo grins to show he is joking. He unlocks the door as they arrived home.

"Why did you lie about Mom coming home? You know she works late Saturdays."

"Because Claire didn't know about the Niidhogg and the associations with her wand. It's not something we really discuss. And Elizabeth was going to tell her. Now go ahead and get ready for supper. I have some of your favorite in the slow cooker."

Nyssa's eyes light up. "Shepherd's pie? Really?!" She hugs her dad who laughs, "Only the best for you the night before you leave" and then runs up the stairs to clean up and change for dinner.

After a dinner with her dad she would likely remember the rest of her life she went to bed early. She smiles tiredly as he mom comes in later and kisses her and tucks her blankets around her.

She yawns as she waits at the magical station. She had heard this was a replica of the British station and she looks around in awe. It was so big. The big black engine trimmed in red sat steaming as magical abled kids of school age boarded. She spots Claire standing with her Aunt Elizabeth and goes over. Theo pulls his sister aside. "Everything ok?" He asks.  
Nyssa studies Claire for a second and moves in and hugs her quickly before stepping back and looking at the train. "Hey."

Elizabeth, Ronan, and Claire huddled under their one umbrella and quickly walked to the large door of the Wilson's home. The rain was pouring down into the night, and after a long day, the three simply wanted to settle in for the night.

Elizabeth grabbed the massive door knocker. She held onto it and banged on the door four times. She let it go and put her arm around Claire. A few minutes later, an older man answered the door. Claire scrunched her lips. She assumed it was her grandfather, but she had not seen him in years.

"Lizzy! Oh it's so good to see you," said the man. Elizabeth smiled widely and stepped into her father's embrace. It had been several years since the two last saw each other. He let go of her put steadied his hands on her shoulders while looking at Ronan and Claire.

"Let's go inside. It'll be warmer in here," he stated. Elizabeth slipped passed her father and started to loudly chatter with someone else in the house. Ronan stepped up and shook the man's hand. "It's always nice to see you, Mr. Wilson," Ronan politely said. The old man rolled his eyes at Ronan but smiled. "It's been nearly two decades. It's Theodore!" He laughed. Ronan walked inside, and the man smiled down at Claire.

"Well, hello Claire. Are you excited for your journey to school?" Said Theodore. Claire smiled and nodded her head. While she hardly knew him, she still wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. "It's nice to see you again, grandpa," Claire said.

He gently patted he back and led her into the home. Claire saw the woman her mother had loudly been speaking with. It was her grandmother. She had a large smile as she laughed and nodded while listening to Claire. She hardly knew her, but Claire liked her already. Claire's grandmother spotted her and quickly walked over to her. "Claire! Hello!" She said, and hugged her as if they knew each other quite well. Claire didn't mind and hugged her back. The family caught up, and the daily stresses melted away. Soon, after saying good night, Claire fell into a very, deep sleep.

-

Claire walked in between her grandparents and behind her parents as they walked to the station. Claire held her luggage. She was very quiet, she felt her stomach knotting. She had nothing to be worried about, yet she was.

"Ah, there they are," said Claire's grandfather. He spotted Theo and Nyssa. Elizabeth went to Theo once they were next to them. While everyone was happily hugging and greeting Nyssa's mother, Elizabeth was speaking with Theo. Claire noticed her mother's face grew serious. But she smiled and nodded at Theo and gave him a hug. Claire had a feeling it had something to do with yesterday. Claire saw from the corner of her eye someone approaching. She turned her head and saw Nyssa sheepishly smiling. She quickly hugged Claire. She wrapped her arms around Nyssa too in their brief hug.

"Hey," said Nyssa. Claire smiled. "Hi, Nyssa." She was about to ask her more, but Claire was cut off.

"Alright you two. Time to go aboard!" Said Elizabeth. The family took turns hugging and wishing Claire and Nyssa good luck. The two walked onto the train with Elizabeth and Theo while everyone else waited.

Elizabeth helped Claire with her luggage and put it aboard. Once Claire was settled, Elizabeth hugged her. "Take care of yourself Claire. Have fun, and learn a lot. Be sure to write!" Elizabeth said while hugging her. Claire nodded and smiled. She felt tears threatening her eyes. Elizabeth noticed. She smiled back at Claire and left before she had the chance to cry. Claire took a shakily deep breath and looked around the train. There were many first years aboard. She watched Theo and Nyssa say goodbye.

Nyssa comes aboard after saying goodbye to her father. And sees Claire standing alone looking around. "Let's go." She says trying not to sigh too loudly. She grips Claire's hand loosely and makes her way to the back of the train pausing frequently to let some bigger student pass them in the narrow corridor. She stops at one of the berths and slides the door back. Two girls are already inside. One is older and sleeping leaning against the window already. The other has the scared look of a first-year. Nyssa smiles at the girl and pulls Claire in. The older girl opens an eye to look at them but says nothing as she goes back to sleep.  
Nyssa waves at the other girl silently and sits down on the opposite bench to look out the window leaving Claire standing in the open doorway alone.  
"Close the door or get out." The older girl grumbles. "You're letting all the cold air in." Claire notices a small brazier in the rack above the girl shimmering as it heats the cabin.

Claire was in a haze as Nyssa led her through the car. She wasn't homesick, but she definitely was nervous. She didn't know what to say or what to do. She felt out of place, even though she swore a few months ago this would be the solution to her problems.

Nyssa stopped at a cabin she found appearing. Two girls were already sitting in there. Nyssa sat down and waved at the other girl. Claire, still in a haze, just watched. She rushed out of her state when she heard the girl snap at her. Before she could apologize as she sat next to Nyssa, the younger girl was snapping back. "Leave her alone, Ganah!" She hissed.

Ganah rolled her eyes and grumbled under her breath. She turned her head away from the three girls. The younger girl smiled at Claire and Nyssa. "First years...?" She asked knowingly.

Both of them nodded. She did as well. "Me too. I'm Fiona."

"Nyssa."  
"Claire."

Fiona smiled. "Nice to meet you two. How do you know one another?"

"We're cousins," Claire said. She didn't want to get technical and left it at that.

"Well that's nice to have a familiar face at school! My sister goes here too, as you can see," she said and pointed at the uniform. "She's a fourth year."

Claire nodded. Fiona excused herself. The train was still in the station, but it was about to leave any minute

The whistle sounds and the train lurches slightly as it pulls into motion. Nyssa glances out the window to watch the station fade. She would never ever admit it but she would miss home. After about an hour of riding silently Ganah gets up and leaves with a sociable grunt. Fiona smiles at them. "Don't mind her. She is already stressing about her classes. She decided to take three advanced classes this year." She giggles assuming the other girls know what she is talking about. "Any idea on what house you want? I want Mahdre Kur, like everyone else in my family." Fiona announces proudly.  
Nyssa shrugs. "I don't mind. Anything but Malkavite." Fiona nods knowingly. "How about you Claire?" Nyssa smirks knowing she is putting her cousin on the spot.

Claire paused for a moment, trying to assess the situation, wondering why Nyssa asked her question the way she did. She had a feeling her cousin and her were actually off to a bad start. While Claire had zero experience and knowledge about the Magical World, she knew a thing or two about the DSM, or Dublin School of Magic and Magical Studies. Ever since Claire had learned that there even was such a thing as witches, wizards, and a world full of magic, she scoured as much information as she could find. Her mother showed Claire her yearbooks when Claire first developed her powers around 7. Throughout the past five years, Claire kept them and would read through them whenever she got the chance. She was intrigued with the School, its classes, games, and particularly the houses. Claire's mother had spent many lazy afternoons sharing her memories of her time at school. Elizabeth was proudly a Skirithar. Actually, Elizabeth told Claire about the Wilson family legacy. Claire's aunts, uncles, grandparents, and ancestors were all in the Skirithar house, and had been for generations. While Elizabeth had a warm and welcoming personality, she still was a strong, fearless, and persistent individual, like a true Skirithar. Claire looked at Nyssa and stated, "Well, Mom was Skirithar, and so was Uncle Theo, and ...well a lot of our Wilson family was ...as you know. It would be, well… a true honor to continue the family legacy. But, I'll be satisfied wherever I'm placed. Mom always told me I would be a Mahdre Kur. Who knows. If it ends up I am a Malkavite, so be it. Any house would be great, really. They all have a special bond that undeniably a part of the great experience of DSM."

Nyssa blushed, but smiled at Claire and nodded. Fiona nodded too, but was clearly very excited and agreed with Claire. "That's true, Claire! You make a good point. Any house would be nice. Sorry to be so nosy… But, you said you're a part of the Wilson family. I take it you're from the area then?"

Claire shook her head. "No, I'm actually in the Muggle World…" She waited for Fiona to lose interest. Rather, her eyes got wide with excitement.

"YOU. ARE!? So am I! Oh, gosh. I'm so relieved. I thought I would be the only one who lived in the Muggle world. So your dad is a Muggle?"

Claire nodded. "Ah, mine too. Do you know if there are a lot of Muggles at school…?" Fiona asked a bit nervous.

"Fiona, shut up!" snarled Ganah. She sat up in her seat with gritted teeth. "I've told you this a million times. No one cares if you're a bloody muggle or pureblood. There are plenty of 's just when you're a damn faerie; that's when you better count your blessings."

Ganah left her grave comment at that. She quickly grabbed her book and purse. She threw it over herself and went to the cabin right next to theirs that was empty. She laid down on the seat, and presumably settled into her nap yet again.

"So what do you two know about this whole…" Fiona paused and looked around, then lowered her voice before saying, "...Faerie thing?"

The students that were quietly chattering in the seat diagonal from theirs paused and hushed one another. They glanced over and discreetly attempted to stare at Fiona, Nyssa, and Claire at the mention of "faerie." Claire noticed and sighed. She knew quite a bit about DSM, but she really didn't much about the magical world.

Nyssa watches Ganah leave and feels the weight of the eyes of the rest of the car upon their little group. She shifts uncomfortably and turns to her cousin. "Shhhhhh!" She hisses. "This isn't bloody Britain. No one cares what family you are from. But you don't talk about the Fae."  
The silence was deafening as the rest of the car dropped into absolute silence. She turns and glares at the nearest group. "Oh bugger off already. It's not like you always knew about them." With that the silence begins to break up as people go back to their conversations or start shuffling again. "Anyway, as Fiona was saying. The Faeries are the self-sworn enemies of witches and wizards. No one really know what their deal is really but they escalated things by trying to bomb our magical headquarters in Dublin."

She pauses for a moment. "Correction. They didn't try. They did. But they are dangerous and mostly non humans consisting of those creatures you hear about in Irish folktales and mythologies." She explains. "So before you ask, yes elves, pixies, and leprechauns exist." She sits back annoyed and stares out the window at the passing fields. She actually didn't know if they were in Neamnhi or actual Ireland.

Claire watched Nyssa defend their group after she mentioned the faeries. She was caught off guard, first by Nyssa's reaction but then by her response to the other students staring at them. She glanced at Fiona. She gave her an empathetic smile. Nyssa then turned back to Claire. She clearly was quite agitated with her oblivion to the whole situation. While she was trying to not be so ignorant, it was difficult. She didn't know nearly as much as Nyssa did.

After Nyssa explained more about the attack, she settled into her seat and looked out the window. Fiona squirmed, she wasn't comfortable with the small confrontation. Bothered by the silence, she felt the need to fill it with cheerful chatter.

Fiona continued to tell Claire and Nyssa more about her life. Claire's thoughts wandered off while she blabbered on and on about her life. She decided to put the faerie story in the back of her mind. She would ask more questions later…. And she would be sure to ask the right person and definitely during the right time. She didn't want to have another situation that ended up with her fellow classmates staring at her. She already knew her first year would be a challenge, and she didn't need to make it worse for herself. Finally, Fiona paused and took a breath. Claire turned to Nyssa to bring her back into the conversation, but she paused. She began to look around, and so did Fiona and Nyssa. The train was beginning to slow. Claire smiled. She was eager to get off and settle into her new home. She waited for the other students to get off so she could follow their lead.

Nyssa frowns as the train slows. Even without the whispers of the other students and the endless fields divided by the traditional stone walls. "We aren't there."  
Fiona leans over. "Nope we aren't. Perhaps Ganah knows." She gets up to go find her sleeping sister as a voice comes over the intercom.

"All students please remain seated. One of the rails on the track up ahead was washed out by a recent storm. We will be stopping for a while to wait for an alternate route." The train jerks to a stop to emphasize these final words. Nyssa thinks it is odd but doesn't think much of it as a hostess comes by with snacks and a bottle of soda for everyone aboard.

The other students are talking among themselves. "I heard the tracks are spelled to have nothing ever go wrong with them, I wonder what happened." One says. "I don't think there has been a storm for the past week. What's going on?"

Claire gazed in the distance as she listened to the muffled announcement over the speakers. After the man finished and the click of the microphone sounded, silence filled the air. Claire nodded as she processed the information. While it could have been bad if the derailed tracks went unnoticed, they didn't. She sighed. It was a relief to see that everything was perfectly fine. She settled back in her seat, put her legs on the seat across from her, and closed her eyes. A few moments later, she opened them because of the hushed whispers. While she felt everything was fine, it was clear the other students didn't think so. She thought about the possibilities, but found no conclusive answers. She simply didn't know enough about Neamnhi. The train jerked as it made its way on the alternate route. Claire looked out the window and noticed the train going towards a large body of water; away from the fields. A rocky cliff guarded the water. While it would be a nasty fall, the cliff was not very tall nor large. She decided it was very possible a storm could have caused the railroad problems. She leaned down and grabbed her water bottle and music from her bag. She put the headphones in her ears and closes her eyes. She soon fell asleep as the train made its way to DSM.

The train jolts again and Nyssa leans over to touch Claire's shoulder. "We are here." She says softly as she stands and reaches into the overhead compartment to grab her things. The larger stuff would be magically transported to their rooms once the houses were assigned. No one really knew how the houses were chosen and not much could be found in the school records. So Nyssa was curious.

Outside of the window a thick green turf extended in all directions interrupted by a large compound. That was the best word Nyssa could think of to describe it. Tall stone walls surrounded a large courtyard containing buildings that towered over the surrounding landscape. Not every building was within the walls though. There were many smaller buildings surrounding the compound. She knew that these were the club buildings, buildings that housed various services provided by the school, and even some classrooms. But the spires and keep dominated the view.  
She noticed the other students, at least the first years, were similarly awed by the sight. They disembarked climbing down the wooden steps. She looks around for her cousin, not really thinking about what she was doing.

Claire opened her eyes and noticed the train had arrived at the station. She closed her eyes again, still sleepy and groggy from her nap. The aisles of the train were full of eager and chatty first years. Claire and Fiona were still sitting when Nyssa got up to collect her belongings. She was surprised when Nyssa only grabbed her satchel, but she followed her lead and decided to leave her massive luggage on the train. Once Nyssa was able to enter the aisle, she began to walk off the train. Most of the first years were off of the train and walking towards the school. Claire finally got up and slowly made her way towards the door. Claire was walking next to Fiona as they walked towards the doors, leading directly to the school grounds. Claire opened the door and saw Dublin School of Magic. She was so taken aback by the estate. The school was very old and this was clearly noted. The school looked more like a castle than anything else. Gothic architecture decorated the estate's four, huge towers. While this impressed Claire, she was also delighted to see the huge lake near the school. The lake reflected the bright, afternoon sun. It was surrounded by the school and at its opposite end, what looked to be the edge of a large forest. Emerald, green grass covered the plains. Claire was excited to explore the school grounds throughout the semester. Claire looked at Fiona, who was just as amazed.

"I can't believe we're really here. Are you nervous?" asked Fiona. Claire gave Fiona a puzzled look. She shook her head no. The two made small talk as they continued on the cobblestone path towards the School's gates. Claire and Fiona stopped behind the large herd of first years. The older students who were aboard the train had already walked into the courtyard of the school and were entering it. They were laughing and chatting amongst themselves. The older students all kindly greeted a woman passing them. She was walking in the opposite direction towards the students. She wore a long, dark blue dress walked towards the first years. Claire thought she looked like she was more from the Middle Ages than present time. Her grey hair was tightly pulled back in a neat bun. As she got closer to the students, the first years hushed one another. She continued walking, but reached towards her pocket and pulled out her wand. Without stopping, she flicked her wand at the gate and it slowly and creakily opened. She walked through the gates and stop before the three steps leading to the gates. The first years were still on the wide, cobblestone path. All of the students were able to see her. They had all quieted.

"Students, welcome to the Dublin School of Magic and Magical Studies," she said. Claire's eyes grew wide. It was the professor who gave her parent's her acceptance letter a few months ago. The professor continued.

"I am Professor Verra. Follow me into the school. Please be quiet as we enter into the school. Oh, and for the students who have their luggage: Please leave it on the cobblestone path. It will be transported to your rooms."

Claire looked around, and it was clear all the students were curious to see what would happen next. She spotted Nyssa, who was just in front of her. Only one student stood in between them. The students shuffled into a line. Nyssa noticed Claire and Fiona. She walked behind the student to stand in front of them. Once Professor Verra was satisfied with the students' line, she nodded, turned on her heels, and promptly walked towards the school's doors. The doors were already opened, welcoming the students into their new home. Upon entering, Claire noticed the huge, glass windows. Torches and chandeliers with candles lit the halls of the school. The walls were made of a dark, smooth stone. The only sound was the click-clack of the students' shoes as they quietly and obediently followed Professor Verra. She walked into a large space. A large, spiraling was behind her. The staircase and floor was no longer the cobblestone like the path, courtyard, and foyer of the school. It was instead an off-white, smoothed and polished stone. The staircase was huge; the students were unable to see the end of it. Professor Verra was again facing the students.

"Please remain quiet as we make our way to the next floor. Once we are there, you will choose two colors: violet and white or gold and green." stated professor Verra. She again turned on her heels and the students followed her. The first year murmured to one another. Claire even noticed Nyssa look at her in confusion. It was obvious Claire was not the only student who found Professor Verra's statement puzzling. Professor Verra stopped, twirled and faced the students. She had a stern look on her face. Silence fell over the group. Professor Verra continued up the staircase and the students quietly followed her. As Claire walked up the stairs, she looked from side to side to look at the large, beautiful paintings that decorated the walls around them. There were so many, it was almost too much. One particular painting caught her eye. It depicted a young, blond haired girl playing with a small dog. The girl was outside on what appeared to be a beautiful, sunny day… Just like today was, Claire thought. The girl grinned and waved at Claire, and Claire gave her a thin smile and wave before glancing away. Claire then whipped her head around to look at the painting again. The little girl was running around, laughing and chasing her dog that was also running. The puffy white clouds in the sky were slowly moving. She glanced back at Fiona, who was wided-eyed. She shook her head at Claire, verifying Claire was not daydreaming. The painting was _actually_ moving. Claire remained continually surprised to see the paintings moving on the wall. Claire looked around, she was not the only surprised student. Even Nyssa seemed a bit stunned. The paintings greeted the students and Professor Verra. Some were like the painting of the young girl, but there were many different paintings: battlefield scenes, portraits of women, families around a fire, an old man reading a book, and many more. Professor Verra politely nodded and waved to the paintings as they continued up the staircase; this was clearly not her first encounter.

Once Professor Verra reached the top of the stairs, she turned around and leaned towards the few students around her. She looked at each one, and they all nodded at her once she finished speaking. Claire saw those students making a horizontal line. The students behind them followed their lead. The horizontal line began to grow as each student took their place. Soon, all the first years were facing Professor Verra. Claire noticed three other adults enter the room. She assumed they were professors. The four were quietly talking amongst one another. Claire noticed each professor had a small, burlap sack. They approached the students and scattered themselves out: two at each end of the line and two standing next to the students in the middle of the line. Claire heard the professor to the right of her instruct the student.

"Place your hand in a bag and choose a ribbon. It will either be violet and white or green and gold" he said in a very solemn, no-nonsense sounding voice.

He continued, "Do _not, ..._ look into the bag," he said sternly, "You will take a ribbon." With that, the professor held the bag out towards the student. Claire and the other first years around her turned and watched him. He pulled out a green and gold ribbon. While the other students watching him were somewhat frightened by the professor, this student was arrogant and smug. He didn't seem slightly bothered at all by the rude man. The professor nodded and pointed towards a hall.

"Enter that hall and be quiet. You will be further instructed once you reach two halls." The student nodded and walked toward the hall. The professor stepped to his right and held the bag out. The girl, who was rightfully nervous because of the professor, put her hand in the bag and held a violet and white ribbon. The professor, whose nameplate read Prof. Arcturus Cecia, did not speak. He simply pointed to another hall, staring at her with a stern, expressionless face. The girl, still wide-eyed, walked towards the hall.

Claire looked towards the other professor in the middle section. She was much more pleasant.

"Hello, young lady! My name is Professor Moore. I teach basic flying! I will be seeing you in class in a few weeks! What's your name?" she said cheerfully. The student smiled at her.

"Elaena Gall," she said.

"Well Elaena Gall, it's very nice to meet you! Your older sister is such a lovely young lady. Now, here is what you are going to do. I am going to hold out this sack," she said, pointing to it, "And you will select a ribbon." She giggled and then said, "But, don't look in the bag! It won't do you much good; you won't see anything inside the bag. But, you will select a ribbon. When you pull the ribbon out, it will become visible. If it is gold and green, you will walk down that hallway towards my left." She then pointed to the hall the same brave boy who wasn't taken aback from the rude professor went towards. The professor continued. "Now, if you select a violet and white ribbon, you will walk down the hall that is on my right." She again pointed to the respective hall. This was the hall the young, startled girl was directed to.

Elaena nodded and smiled at Professor Moore. Professor Moore, grinning as if this were the best day of her life, held the sack out to her. Elaena selected a violet and white ribbon.

"Excellent! I am not at all surprised. Good luck! Now, walk down the hall over there. There will be a professor waiting for you when the hallways splits into two different halls. That professor, Professor Cecia I believe, will instruct you from there. Alright, Elaena?" said Professor Moore.

Elaena nodded and eagerly walked towards the hall.

Claire saw the few students who held the ribbon they chose either walking to the gold and green ribbon hall or the violet and white hall. The students were too far back to see down the halls, but the glow from the torches on the wall was visible. Claire, Nyssa, and Fiona all looked at one another and smiled at each other. They silently waited, curious to see what ribbon they would choose and what it would entail.

Nyssa reaches in pulling out a violet and white ribbon. She nods and heads down the hallway to the right. The hallway was crowded and she couldn't see what the hold up was. It looked like there were two doors both closed ahead of them. With a bang both opened and students started filing forward through each. There didn't seem to be any order to it, just everyone following the path that had the most room. As she watched the kids seemed to thin out slower than normal as students appeared that weren't there before and those from behind would take the opposite doorway. But as soon as she noticed it seemed the most natural thing in the world and thought no more of it. She jostled those around her and ended up squeezing through two big boys to go down the left path. The hallway widened after a couple feet. There was a seal of a bird of some sort against an empty shield; pictures and histories were collected. 'This was the sorting.' She thought to herself. 'I'm in Azerior!' She continued excitedly absorbing the house history and the famous members.

The hallway leads into a entrance hall with large marble staircases where the first years stood around talking to each other about their houses. She notices a girl nearby gesturing wearing a golden glove. She looks down and sees that her left hand is now covered in a rich violet glove. She touches it curiously in awe still trying to figure out what happened and how. She turns back to the hallway she just exited only to find herself just inside the great doors the older students had entered.

Professor Moore stood in front of Claire. Claire looked up at her, and she smiled. Claire took a deep breath. This was something she had been waiting for since she learned about the houses at Dublin School of Magic. Claire held a violet and white ribbon. She walked towards the hall, the one both Fiona and Nyssa had also been directed to. Claire walked down the hall quietly; there were a few students in front of her. However, there was not a professor waiting where the hall split into two. Claire looked at the left hallway, then the right. She couldn't describe why she felt the way she did, but she knew she needed to go the hall on the right. Claire soon walked into a large hall, the hall behind Claire closing and forming the stone wall of the large hall she was in. Four large banners with the house crests were on the walls. The wall directly in front of Claire held the Mahdre Kur crest, proudly displaying a fierce wolf. Claire looked down at her hands, she felt an odd sensation. Red satin gloves, trimmed with a black fabric, covered her hands and forearms. Claire smiles when she saw her fellow first years who were also in the Mahdre Kur house, Fiona being one of them. Fiona was next to a few older students who were greeting their new housemates. When she saw Claire, she ran off to her, grabbed her hand, and introduced her to her new housemates. They were just as excited to meet Claire as she was to be in the Mahdre Kur house. She smiled, excited to be in a house where she truly belonged.

Once all the students were sorted into their houses, the headmistress of the school arrived. The older students quieted the first years, and soon the hall was completely silent. Claire was surprised to see what the headmistress looked like. She was younger than she expected and what appeared to be less friendly. Her black eyebrows were furrowed as she looked at the student body. Her face had many wrinkles on it, despite her age. Her hair was tightly pulled back into a long braid. It was clear she was not one to toy with.

"Students. Welcome to the Dublin School of Magic. I am Headmistress Storey. Before we begin the celebration, we will review the rules.

1\. Under no circumstances may you leave your room or house tower after curfew. From 10:00-6:00, you are expected to be in your rooms unless you are given special permission to leave.

2\. No students are allowed to access the old library of the school. All areas from the old library and on are strictly off limits. Students will be punished if they break this rule."

Claire looked at Fiona, and she shifted uncomfortably. The Dublin School of Magic seemed quite intense. The headmistress continued.

3\. "The last final rule: No students may enter the bog."

Some of the students nodded at Headmistress Storey, but most stared at her. She said nothing else and took her seat. Professor Moore smiled and stood; and in return the students did as well as everyone felt much happier.

"Students! Despite Headmistress Storey's dire warnings this truly is a time for celebration. Shortly all houses will join me in welcoming the new members of this school. You will notice that you have received a new pair of gloves. These gloves are colored according to your house but the style was specifically chosen for you by your journey through the hallArcturusways."  
Nyssa glances down at her single glove that barely hits her wrist. The thin fabric was warmer and sturdier than it seemed and it was almost like a second skin.

Professor Moore continues. "That being said you will now be shown to your new homes here at the school."

With that several students step up behind him. "These are the student heads of your houses. Ali Feros with Skirithar, Charlie Seely with Mahdre Kur, Drew Danos with Azerior, and last but not least Elise Phillipson with Malkavite."  
The students raise their gloved fists above their heads in unison. Gold with black veins, red with black fur, violet with thin grey trim, and dark green with brown lining.

"Follow these students and we will see you at supper this evening when you are all settled." Professor Moore steps down.

Nyssa's eyes snap to Drew who raises his fist to his mouth and lets out a piercing whistle followed by a gesture. Nyssa cuts through the crowd using her smaller size to squeeze between people as she and the rest of the new Azerior's play follow the leader.

Drew leads them around the perimeter of the main building which is a black and white checked hallway enclosed from the outside by nothing but glass. They exit the hall going out to the lawn. "Your gloves are your keys. No one else can wear yours." He explains. "And this way we don't have to worry about stupid riddles. If you lose it just spend 5 minutes looking and you will find it or a new one will be placed conveniently for you." As a demonstration Drew pulls his own lavender and white checked glove off and tosses it over a short stone wall. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a new one and puts it on. "The one over the wall isn't there anymore." He explains. The students crane to see and receive a confirmation from one of the other students.

He gestures at a crumbled arch which by this time is two unconnected pillars of stone. "Through here is your new home." He steps between the pillars and vanishes, Nyssa blinks and hears the gasps of a couple others as they hesitate briefly before following.

Nyssa follows the others and steps through the pillars and blinks once more. The sky was bright with sunshine and a lone stone tower stood before them. It reached up hundreds of feet and was perfectly round. Drew was standing at the entrance holding a door for them. He grins mischievously. "You made it." He winks causing a couple girls to titter. "Your rooms are assigned on a list on the bulletin board. Any announcements will be there also. You will have a mentor for the first couple weeks. In general your room is higher up the older you get. So if you really need me. Be prepared to sweat." He chuckles at his joke and lifts his hand showing a spiraling staircase hugging the inner walls of the tower. Doors which are presumably rooms open up off the staircase. Bookshelves, desks, couches, and even what looks like bars further up are spaced out when the stairs even out for a moment. "Any questions?" Drew doesn't even wait for an answer as he walks off.  
The first years begin to crowd around the bulletin board. Jokes and stories and names were traded as they walked off to their new rooms or to explore the tower.

Nyssa finds her room on the list and presumably her mentor who she would meet the next day. It was not very far as the rooms were all in numerical order. She deposits her small bag on the bed and jumps letting out a soft yelp as her luggage appears on the desk. The room was tiny. One bed. One desk. One chair. One foot locker. She sits on the bed - at least it was soft - and leans back to stare at the ceiling.

"Alright, Mahdre Kur! Let's go!" Charlie called out. The older students got up and stood next to Charlie. They were casually chatting and joking with one another while the first years gathered around them. Once they were all there, Charlie and the older students led the group to the Mahre Kur tower. The tower's door was garnished with the black and red crest; wood carvings covering nearly the entire door. Claire watched, waiting for Charlie to open the door. Instead, he put his glove near the keyhole. A moment later, Charlie's entire disappeared as he swooshed through the small key hole. It was clear none of the first year students had ever seen anyone travel in this manner before, as all the first years let out collective gasps. An older student directed the first years to form a line to enter into the tower. All but two of the older students entered through the door. The two remaining students stayed behind to guide the students. While it wasn't difficult, it definitely was an atypical way to enter a door for the common witch or wizard. Slowly but surely, Claire and Fiona made their way towards the door - it would be their turn any minute. Finally, after a great deal of anticipation, Claire was face-to-face with the door. No other students stood in her way. She had heard the other two students guiding the other first years. She already heard the explanation several times. She _knew_ she would be just fine. She _knew_ she would feel a little dizzy the first few times. She _knew_ this would only take a matter of seconds. She _knew_ this was one of the best forms of transportation. Nevertheless, she could not find the courage to put her glove at the keyhole. She put her hand up but unintentionally found herself yanking it away. She ashamedly looked at the older student, feeling like a very inadequate witch already. The older student smiled down at Claire and asked, "Where are you from?"

"Dublin, on the Muggle side…" answered Claire. The student nodded knowingly.

"Ah, well that makes two of us. You know, you're in good company. I know this is all very new to you. But trust me, you'll get the hang of it soon enough. It's really kind of thrilling, I think. I still enjoy it like it's a new experience for me, every time." said the student enthusiastically. Claire smiled at the student. She was still nervous, but she without a doubt felt her confidence grow.

Claire felt silly for having so many unnecessary worries. She wasted not a moment more; she place her hand to the door and closed her eyes. She heard a loud squish and quickly found herself putting her arms out to steady herself. She kept her eyes closed while she regrouped. A moment later, once she settled, she heard muffled conversations. She opened her eyes and saw a glow coming from the end of a hallway. The voices were coming from that area too. She began to walk down the hall and soon found herself being greeted by her new house. Everyone chatted with one another, laughing and smiling about their exciting experiences they already enjoyed. Once the all the first years were seated, Charlie began to explain the house, the rules, and where the rooms were. The magic needed for the house was shown to each student. It specifically came in handy when entering the tower or entering their single rooms. Once everyone had their short lessons about the house, the students made their ways toward their rooms.

Claire and Fiona made their ways towards their rooms. Surprisingly, the two were right next to one another. Fiona waved goodbye to Claire as she walked passed Fiona's room to her room. Claire stood in front of her door. She looked around her, no one else was around. She cleared her voice and stood upright. She held her wand in her hand, eager for her first magical experience. After a few moments, Claire boldly said, "Nunc apparent!" Immediately, the key in her door hole turned swiftly, the lock made a bolting noise as it unlatched. She turned the handle and once opening the door, and the candles in the room immediately lit. While the room was well lit, Claire knew it would take some time for her to adjust to this medieval style of living. Well, really, nearly everything in this new world would take time for her to adjust to. After Claire unpacked, she felt her eyes grow heavy. She laid down in her bed. While she slowly drifted off, she thought about the next few days. Despite being exhausted and completely worn, Claire still felt her excitement light up in her as she thought about the upcoming experiences as she went through the First Year Orientation. Flying, potions, exploring the school grounds, and seeing the magical animals were just a few of the key points. While it would take Claire some time to familiarize herself with the life in the magical world, she was excited for it to really begin.

Nyssa groaned to herself as she lie on her bed looking at the ceiling. It hadn't changed in the, nearly three now, months that she had been at school. She just wished this pounding headache would go away so she could get back to studying. Her Magical History book was open on the desk next to her and some paper filled with her notes. That was one thing she was glad the magical world had adopted was paper, she couldn't imagine having to use parchment still.

She sits up slowly and rubs her temples and pulls the book over to her lap to continue reading. She barely pulls her knees up as her door flies open banging into the side of her bed. "Nyssa!"

Nyssa doesn't look up but bends further over her book to avoid looking at Carly. She didn't want to know what it was and she just wanted to study.

The bubbly blond girl with glasses squats down in front of Nyssa. "Hey you. You said you wanted to go."

"Yeah I know. Only because you and Simone forced me to."

"You know that's not true. You have two weeks to finish that project. You can't do everything this early." Carly starts organizing things on Nyssa's desk.

Nyssa jumps up. "Stop, I know where everything is. Please." She notes her page and closes the book setting it on the desk. She leans over and reaches behind the door grabbing her coat.

Carly watches with a half grin on her face, the candle light of the corridor lending shadows to her features. "Don't look at me like that. Stop." Nyssa glowers at her enthusiastic friend.

"Oh hush. Your cousin is flying today and then we are going to sneak into the upper class history lecture."

"But weekends are when I catch up on work." Nyssa complains as she dons her coat.

"You know as well as I that working almost a month ahead doesn't count as catching up." Carly grins.

Nyssa returns the grin feeling the pride burn in her chest. "Where's Simone?"

"She's already there. She got us some seats. Why didn't you tell us you had a cousin sooner, much less one that could fly? I wish I was still allowed to fly a broom." She says wistfully as they step out of the tower into the chilly late autumn air. "And how did she end up in Mahdre Kur of all places?"

"Didn't really know. I've been busy. And she and I are really the first in a long line that haven't been Skirithar." She glances over at Carly. "You know why you aren't allowed on a broom. Every time you touch one you break something. Usually on your body." Nyssa shakes her head as they step around some students entering and out of the Neamhni, or magical void within which the school and other private areas existed.

The crowd around the practice field is small and mostly populated by a crowd of red-gloves, or wolves, or Mahdre Kur. They always went everywhere together. It was sickening. Nyssa shied away from a loud group of Malkavite students. It seemed everyone here was a lower-classman. The upper-classmen had better things to do and so did she. She gloomily sank into her thoughts about the homework she was unable to do as Carly cut through the crowd to the only other Azerior student in the bleachers. She plops down next to the strawberry redhead. "Heya Simone. Started yet?"

"Obviously not." She laughs lightly. "Hey, Nyssa." She gives a small wave of welcome and hands over a cup of cocoa to each of her friends.

Nyssa takes the cup. "Thanks." She can feel the warmth creeping up her arms through the thick ceramic. The mug was spelled to warm the entire body and stay hot for an hour. She took a sip letting the magic do its job as she stared silently at the field in front of them.

Simone nudges Carly. "She was studying?"

Carly nods with a grin. "You guessed it but that's cheating. She's always doing that."

Nyssa knows they are talking about her but doesn't really care as she loses her thoughts in the spellwork of the mug and the waste of time this was turning out to be.

Claire walked to the practice fields early in the afternoon with several of her housemates. It was Thursday, and she was eager for the weekend. While her housemates chattered away with one another, Claire was lost in her thoughts. Claire was in a very good mood; it had been three months since she departed from the train station. Without a doubt, she felt herself adapting to the ways of Neamhni quite well. Claire was fortunate to have been placed with Mahre Kur; she knew it was the perfect fit for her. Her fellow first year classmates were essential in helping Claire to feel welcomed. While the other houses found it odd and sometimes poked fun at Madhre Kur for their constant clickiness, it was what Claire needed and truly preferred. She appreciated her alone time and still maintained independence, but the group support helped Claire to find her niches and flourish while she was at school. Claire excelled in school, and while she truly enjoyed her courses, she most enjoyed spending her time flying. It was by chance that Claire flew the first week of school. Many of the professors and upperclassmen immediately noticed her skill. The next day, Claire was asked by Charlie to join Mahre Kur's Quiddich team. While she didn't play very often and had a simple position, it caught the attention of the students watching the matches. It was such a 180 from her social life while she attended school in the Muggle world.

Claire looked up as she entered into the ancient practice fields of the school. She felt a little out of place with the old fashioned lifestyle of Neamhni, but she slowly but surely adjusted. Claire trotted over to the Madhre Kur team. She stood next to Charlie, who was strategizing with the team about their practice game against Malkavite. Despite Charlie being the team captain, and pretty much in charge of all things encompassing Mahre Kur, he embraced the concept of making decisions as a house, in unison - as a pack per ce. Claire stood listening to the older students discuss strategies and ideas. She was interested in the game, but she knew very little about Quiddich. She definitely was still a student and decided to observe rather than jump in. She quietly listened to her teammates, and it was decided that Claire should play. Malkavite was anything but rivals with Mahre Kur in Quiddich.

"I think you need to gain experience before we throw you into a match with another house," Charlie explained. Claire noticed the other teammates nod at Charlie's comment. He continued, "That would be brutal. But, this will be good for you. We'll be here. It's an intense game. You have the flying down, but you need to learn more about Quiddich." Claire again noticed her teammates nod in agreement with Charlie. Again, it was very much a group effort and decision. Claire prepared herself to fly into the practice arena. She chatted with a few of her teammates while they waited for the okay to go into the area. Students were starting to quickly fill the stands. But, of course, the Madhre Kur house was already in attendance. The horn sounded, and Claire took off. She was a little wobbly with the rough winds, but she quickly steadied herself. She soon got into the swing of it and began to fly with total ease. She zoomed and soared through the air to block the Malkavite teammate she was assigned to guard. It was odd that it seemed so natural to Claire. But, she loved it and was happy she found such an interest.

As the game ended, Claire flew to the ground and landed. She grunted when her feet slammed into the ground… She still was perfecting landing without a doubt. Claire held her broom as she walked to her friends.

"Hey, Claire!" Claire turned around to see Carly smiling and waving at her. Claire noticed Nyssa and Carly's friend, Simone, were also next to her. She was friendly with all three, mostly Carly and Simone because of their project together in Astronomy. The three got along very well and were beginning to become friends. Nyssa, on the other hand, hadn't warmed up to Claire as much. Their relationship was beginning to improve ever so slightly, though.

"That was a great game, Claire!" Said Carly enthusiastically. She patted Claire on the back.

"Yeah, you're really good! I wish I could fly," said Simone.

Nyssa quietly breathed in annoyance, but it was still audible to all three girls. Claire looked at Nyssa and smiled.

"Haven't seen you in a while. How are you courses going? Sounded pretty busy the last time we talked." Claire said to Nyssa. Nyssa forced a smiled back at Claire.

"I've been busy still," she said tartly.

"Oh my God, Nyssa. You're making yourself busy!" Scolded Simone, rolling her eyes but laughing. Before Nyssa could add a comment, Simone continued, "We wanted to go to this upperclassmen lecture. It's 14:00 and the lecture starts at half past. If we get going we will make it in time. Would you want to join us?" Asked Simone.

"You HAVE to join us!" Said Carly. "It's on the faeries. Supposedly, Professor Verra is giving the lecture. She won't leave any details out and you know that'll be good! I don't think she really cares if she hurts anyone's feelings...Gosh... It was just such a horrific event…." Carly said dismayingly.

Simone gave her an odd look. "Well, anyways. Would you like to join us? Should be good!" Encouraged Simone.

"Ehhhhh…. Well… I don't want to get caught, do you think-" Claire said, but stopped when Nyssa interrupted her abruptly.

"Do you want to go or not?" Nyssa asked sternly. She clearly wasn't up for the small talk. Claire was used to Nyssa's mannerisms by now. A few months ago she would have been so insulted. But she stopped talking and simply nodded yes. It didn't really faze her too much.

"Okay then. Let's go." Said Nyssa. She turned on her heel and began to walk towards the hall. As the girls walked with Nyssa towards the lecture room, the already grey sky became darker and darker. The wind, already strong, became rougher. The trees around them began to rustle loudly from the changing weather. All four began to walk a bit faster.

"Guess it's going to rain?" Asked Simone, breaking the silence.

"I didn't think it was supposed to this afternoon, but I guess you're right." Said Claire. Claire wondered if it was the weather or something else. In Neamhni, anything was possible. For all she knew, it was probably some magical event unfolding. She smiled to herself and decided that was silly.

"Clearly, just rain," she thought to herself as she saw dark grey clouds directly swirling above the hall.

The large, oak door slowly creaked open as the four approached. 'It was nice', thought Claire, 'because the doors were so massive'. Magic definitely had its perks.

Once inside, the atmosphere was much more pleasant. Upperclassmen were flooding into the hall. Their voices echoed throughout the lecture room and hallways of the hall. Carly, Simone, Nyssa, and Claire squeezed in between a herd of Malkavite students. Simone gave Nyssa a nervous glance. Nyssa smiled and whispered, "It's okay. Even if the upperclassmen do notice, they're Malkavites… I doubt they have the courage to tell Professor Verra we're here." Simone smiled widely and started to laugh. Her worries were eased. Nyssa found a row behind students. Professor Verra wouldn't spot them.

Soon, the hall was filled and very loud with students talking amongst one another. Professor Verra entered the hall moments later, and the voices of the students fell. She was a respected professor, and no students dared to challenge her.

Professor Verra made her way to the podium, organizing her notes before beginning.

Nyssa turned to look at Claire. She opened her mouth to say something but decided against it and turned away crossing her arms and slouching low in her chair.

The lights dimmed in the back of the lecture hall as Professor Vera cleared her throat and started speaking. Her voice was gravely and serious. "Welcome students. Today we are here to learn the truth. The truth about the threat of the fae." A collective gasp and whisper arose from the students. Nyssa glances at Claire. It was apparent that not even the upperclassmen who were invited had known what this was about. She sits up straighter in her seat.

"The truth is the fae are dangerous, they are powerful, and they will not hesitate to kill you. You may have heard till now that they are mainly peaceful and don't want to hurt anyone. This is not true." She turns and gestures. A projector turns on displaying grisly images of mutilated bodies, burned houses, and various groups of alien and dangerous looking fae.

"All who are in their fifth year are called so that the truth can be revealed to you. There is no room for you to believe in the fairy tales or the soft stories that the Fae and their allies spread. All Fae possess a glamour that they use to charm the world, it spreads like a virus convincing people of their innocence. This is a serious and dangerous topic." Professor Vera pauses for effect. The room is silent, completely silent.

"Good. Now that I have your attention. What you learn here does not leave this room. You do not tell the underclassmen. You use it to hone your studies so that we may be ready for when they strike."

A thunderclap can be heard and the building seems to shake. The students nervously look at each other. Nyssa doesn't glance over. She is leaning forward. All the books were wrong and everyone was duped. It didn't make sense. There was no way they could do that. Could they?

Professor Vera continues, "One day they will all strike as one. No one will be safe." She is hoarse by now. "Here is a first year student who can tell you of their brutality first hand." Angry voices call out from the crowd protesting that a first-year would be able to tell them anything.

A short, dark-haired girl in a short black dress stands at the left side of the front row and starts walking to the podium. Her gloves of gold and black mark her as a Skirithar.

The atmosphere seems to be charged with magic from the nervous students and the storm outside doesn't help.

A lightning bolt lights up the room as it strikes nearby. Nyssa notices Professor Vera seems to be a little nervous. The other faculty members are looking around worried. "What do you think is going on?" She whispers to Claire and her friends.

Carly looks terrified. "We should leave." She hisses urgently.

Simone ridicules her, "No way this is just like a movie. Watch the bad guys be waiting outside the whole time." She teases her friend.

Carly blanches, "Not funny."

Nyssa shakes her head. "If we leave now we will get caught. Have any of you seen that girl up there around before? I've not seen her in any of my classes."

"I heard something about a first-year Skirithar taking classes with the third-years." Simone offers.

Carly lets out a soft squeak in conjunction with a surge of magic that draws their attention to the front of the room. The air behind Professor Vera looked like it had been bubbled into a giant magnifying glass. The next thing they see are a pair of hands in the center. They weren't really hands. More like clawed fingers as they grip something they can't see and pull. A hole inexplicably opens in the air as it hangs there, the edges swirling. A green figure that looks like a walking fish with fins on its head steps out and grabs Professor Vera. Her fumbling with her wand and throwing a couple spells at the intruder had no effect. The other faculty members shout and pull out their wands as they rush towards the front. The fish throws the professor through the shrinking hole and dives in. Just before the hole closes Nyssa thinks she sees the soft blue glow of eyes hidden by a hood peering out.

She blinks at the chaos and the hole closes into the magnifying glass effect once more and then snaps back into place.

Claire, Nyssa, Simone, and Carly sat stunned while chaos start to break out as the other students screamed in fear and horror. Claire felt chills run up her spine; she was practically frozen. She sat staring at the front of the room where Professor Vera had just disappeared into thin air. Her mouth was wide open, as were her eyes. Her mother was right, the Evil Force of Niidelhogg would return. While Claire knew nothing of Niidelhogg, the recent events seemed to point into the direction of the Evil Force. Claire quickly blinked a few times and watched the Professors standing at the front of the auditorium. It had only been a few seconds since Professor Vera had disappeared, but it felt as if hours had past - there was no sense of time, logic, or understanding; only fear and confusion. Claire saw Headmistress sternly scowl at the panicked students, who were now standing up and attempting to quickly make their ways to the isles to leave the auditorium. The students were pushing; seemingly fearing the grotesque monster would return and take more helpless victims. However, it was clear the Headmistress did not express any form of sympathy for her terrified students. She violently threw her arm backwards and then forwards, whipping her arm so her wand was pointing to the back of the room. The massive oak doors immediately slammed shut - closing quickly and effortlessly. The huge doors created a loud, booming noise as they closed and latched shut. The echo ricocheted off of the grey, stone walls and iron, metal desks. The students all froze and eventually turned around to face the Headmistress. Her wrinkles creased deeper as her scowl lividly grew. Claire slowly leaned down in her chair, now fearing Headmistress more than the frightening mark from the Niidelhogg.

The Headmistress, despite her fearsome look, cooly measured her words as she spoke. "You will not act in such a disruptive and childish behavior. Sit. Down. Now."

The Headmistress waited impatiently as the students quickly and silently made their ways to the seats; really any seats, not caring if it was where they were originally sitting. Everyone wanted to escape the wrath of the Headmistress.

She continued. "This is to not leave the auditorium - ever. Any student that exposes this event to other students will be severely punished. Do not even discuss it amongst each other - this is to never be addressed outside of the auditorium. Now -"

Headmistress paused as a murmur spread over the students. She lost all coolness.

"SILENCE!" Her screeching voice echoed throughout the auditorium, the students again quieting immediately. Headmistress opened her mouth to speak again, but Professor Moore stepped forward and said in a small voice, "Um… Headmistress?" She sharply turned around and glared at Professor Moore. She paled at the frightening look, but still found her voice.

She lowered it as she cautiously stepped forward to speak with Headmistress. "Might I suggest wiping their memories? It is to only be used in grave times. If the Ministry of Magic were to question this, I believe there are ample Professors here who would gladly speak in favor of this and defend our actions. It's best for the students."

Headmistress sighed and added, "And our reputation. ... Okay, I suppose. Professor, would you mind?"

Headmistress gestured towards Professor Daul, who taught the upper level magic classes. He knew he really didn't have an option despite how Headmistress asked. He nodded and took a step forward. The students, not hearing any of the conversation, sat and blankly stared at the Professors.

"Transvecto," he muttered as he gently swirled then whipped his wand at the the students. A gentle blue glow came out of the wand and spun around the students. It landed on their heads, and a gently glow appeared and then vanished. This continued for a few moments until the glows disappeared. The students remained quiet and continued to stare at the Professors. Headmistress raised a questioning eyebrow towards Professor Daul. "It is done," he confirmed confidently. Headmistress forced a sweet smile as she spoke to the students.

"Our apologizes, students. The lecture is cancelled today. Please look for a message over the next few days. If I send one, it will give the date and time of the new lecture. That is all. You're dismissed."

The students got up and immediately talking filled the room. It was as if it were a normal day - the students made their typical conversation with their friends next to them as they waited in the isles to eventually make their way towards the door to leave.

Claire, Nyssa, Simone, and Carly sat there. Simone gently shook her head. "I feel weird, dizzy. I guess. I think I'm going to go to my room and lay down until supper." Said Simone.

Carly muttered in agreement with Simone, clearly being in the same state. The two stood up; Claire and Nyssa soon standing up as well. They four made their way towards the doors, being sure to conceal their presence between a group of third years.

Simone turned and raise her hand to wave goodbye to Claire and Nyssa. Claire smiled politely at them as they left and headed towards the Azerior tower. Claire looked at Nyssa and again smiled politely. "Well, I think I'm going to head towards a study room. Would you like to come? I just plan to work on readings, so I understand if you prefer to do something else." Claire offered.

Nyssa nodded. "Let's just go to your room. I haven't really seen it yet. And I'm not feeling the greatest either. Just let me get my stuff, okay?"

Claire was surprised, but she nodded and smiled again. "Okay, I will see you. I'll meet you at the Mahdre Kur tower door." Nyssa nodded and smiled back at Claire. She turned away towards the Azerior tower.

Claire made her way to the Mahdre Kur tower and waited for Nyssa.

Nyssa heads through the archway to Azerior and grabs her messenger bag. She looks around trying to think of what homework she still had. She puts her history book, her planner, and her charms book into the bag and shoulders it. It would be enough. She didn't plan on sticking around with her cousin for that long. Her gaze loses focus for a while as she gets the feeling she is missing something but can't remember what it was. She blinks trying to clear the feeling but it lingers at the back of her mind as she closes her door behind her. The gold of the knob contrasting against her dark glove sends a strange thought through her mind. She wasn't quick enough to catch it as she adjusts her bag and heads out. She trails across the green surrounding the school until she reaches the Mahdre Kur tower wondering why they didn't hide it better. She spots Claire and raises a hand in greeting.

"Hey, I got my stuff." She says as greeting. She wasn't sure really where to go from there.

Claire smiled and said, "Okay, you mentioned wanting to see my room…. I need to go up there and grab some stuff still. So, you can either go with me if you would like, or I can just meet you in a study room. Do you have a preference?"

"I'll just come up with you, I hear rumors about how the pack lives. Does everyone really sleep in a big room on the floor together? And do you shower as a group?" Nyssa shudders but a teasing smile is on her face.

"I also hear things about you barking at the moon and running through the woods at night. But you know. Can't believe everything you hear. Just most of it." Nyssa's grin widens a bit.

Claire wrinkled her nose and immediately started to laugh. She rolled her eyes. "I would die to know how that rumor got started. No, I can assure you: I have my own room, my own shower, and I haven't barked at the moon. Yet."

Claire continued and asked quizzically, "Okay, I've never had a guest come to my room that wasn't apart of Mahre Kur. I think we just have to hold hands…?"

Nyssa looks at her hand the purple glove with dark grey trim then at Claire's black and red satin glove. "Alright." She holds out her hand. "Pretty sure that's what they told us. Not many visitors come to Azerior, nor do I have any. Simone and Carly live nearby so not sure if that counts."

Claire takes Nyssa's hand and looks at her. "Okay, you might feel a little dizzy after this. Ready?" Nyssa simply nods not sure how much different it could be.

Claire put her other gloved hand up to the door and waited. A moment later, Nyssa and Claire's bodies quickly shrunk; their bodies were in the air as if they had evaporated. Not even a second later, Claire and Nyssa were inside Mahre Kur.

Nyssa gathers herself and looks around at the rich decor. "That wasn't bad." She looks at Claire waiting for her to take the lead since this was her tower. Some of the other Mahdre Kur looked at them as they came in but continued about their business.

"It's, different, in here." Nyssa breathes. "Not sure what I expected. But at least some sort of tent city or commune. Huh."

Claire snickered. "Okay," she pauses and points down a hall, "My room is just around the corner." She takes the lead, like a natural wolf, and starts to walk towards her room.

Nyssa follows sticking close behind Claire and keeping her eyes down. The thick red and black rugs on the polished wood floor lent an aura to the space. She wasn't quite sure what it was but it had a different feel than the Azerior tower; maybe it was that there were actual floors between the levels instead of an open space straight to the top. Where the Mahdre Kur tower felt close and warm with a heavy atmosphere, Azerior, though the rooms were small, the atmosphere was more airy and light. In Azerior, the floors were also open drawing the eye upward. Claire stopped at her door, grabbed her wand and flicked it. The door clicked unlocked and creaked open. Claire grumbled.

"I'm not feeling so good. I need to sit down. Let me look at my planner, I need to see what books to bring. Sorry." Claire said to Nyssa.

Nyssa looks around. It wasn't that much different. There were actual decorations though where her room was just stark and bare. The red and black blankets on the bed seemed to suit her cousin though. She goes in and sits cross-legged on the edge of the bed setting her bag on the floor. "Yeah, I don't know what happened between your match and here but I seem to be missing something." Nyssa frowns. She reaches down and pulls out her own planner and flips it open to that day. "Wait, what time is it?" She asks.

She turns and looks at the clock next to Claire's bed. It read 15:00. She looks back to the planner. "Wait, there was a lecture on the faeries we were going to sneak into at 14:00. What happened to that? I was waiting all week for it."

Claire looked at Nyssa and sat next to her. She turned her neck and looked at her planner. She started to talk aloud, processing her thoughts. "...Yeah. You, Simone, and Carly were at my match. And we wanted to go because they were presenting on the Evil Force.. Right? I don't know, does that even sound familiar? I remember walking to the halls… The weather was starting to get pretty bad, wasn't it? I felt like it just kind of happened out of the blue though…" Claire said, trailing off. She was about to continue but stopped to let Nyssa say what she could remember.

"Yeah the weather was bad but we didn't know what it was about just that it was a history presentation. Why would you think it was on the Evil Force? I only wrote down Faerie lecture, see?" Nyssa turns to look at Claire curiously showing her the planner. "I know the weather was getting bad at your match but when we walked out it was perfectly clear." She frowns. "It doesn't add up." She shifts backwards a little bit to get more comfortable. "I don't think you knew about it till after your match when Carly and Simone invited you. And now all of us have headaches or aren't feeling well." She raises her eyebrows at Claire. "Coincidence?"

"I don't know… this is odd. I think I remember Carly mentioning the presentation at 14:30. She was excited when she was telling me about it; she was so eager to sneak into the upperclassmen lecture. It was only for the upperclassmen. I remember Carly telling me it would be on the faeries when we were at the practice fields. After we arrived in the hall… Well, I don't know. I can't honestly remember what happened," Claire admitted sheepishly.

"Hold on." Nyssa hands Claire the planner and reaches down into her bag pulling out the Charms book. She flips through it eagerly until she gets to one of the recent chapters and begins to read aloud, "..here it is. Other high level charms may involve influencing mental states or memories, physical maladies, or transformations to name a few. Many of these disciplines are dangerous and have entire fields dedicated to mastering their applications without all the dangerous side effects….."

"I remember my professor saying something about side effects how if you messed up a charm for physical maladies someone healthy could end up with stage 5 cancer in several hours or a memory charm could completely wipe a person's personality and memories leaving them as blank as a newborn." Nyssa trails off and looks at Claire pointedly waiting to see what she gathered from that.

Claire looked at Nyssa in disbelief. She shook her head. "There's just no way. I don't understand. The professors wouldn't have a reason to wipe our memories. At least I don't think they would. It just doesn't make any sense. Why would they want to even do that in the first place?" Claire asked.

Nyssa considers for a moment. "Maybe. Maybe they brought one in and tortured it and accidentally killed it. And if we knew it might get out and anger the Faeries." Nyssa's eyes were wide letting her imagination run wild with possibilities. "I wonder if anyone else suspects. I doubt we are the only ones to notice."

Claire shrugged. "I mean, there's only one way to find out…"

"How?" Nyssa asks, "It's not like we can go back in time. That's completely unrealistic."

"I was just thinking we could ask some of the trusted upperclassmen, Carly, Simone…" Claire trails, but continues, "... Do you think it's too risky? What if that didn't even happen? We could put ourselves in a bad spot."

"Yeah you are right. Especially since we weren't even supposed to be there. Was there a Mahdre Kur there that you could ask?" Nyssa considers out loud. "I don't know any other Azeriors that would've been there. Or really many other Azeriors…" She ends the thought awkwardly, embarrassed by the admission to her cousin.

Claire smiled empathetically at Nyssa. "I think I know one Mahdre Kur that was at the presentation. His name is Charlie." Claire thinks, and then eagerly adds, "I bet he was with some Mahdre Kurs too. He always is. Do you think I should try to ask him?"

"I suppose that wouldn't hurt. I doubt he would do anything about you being there. That's the alpha or whatever you guys call him right?" Nyssa asks. "Yeah let's see if he knows." She scoots back to the edge of the bed and puts her books back in the bag. "Should I come with you?"

Claire didn't need a moment to think about that. She quickly shakes her head. "No, don't. If you want, you can come with me, but just keep at a distance. Charlie would never talk about something so potentially serious with someone from another house. I just can't see him being so trusting about that. I think it's best if you let me just ask," Claire explained.

"Oh, ok." She slides back to rest her back against the wall. "I'll wait here then." She pushes down the feeling of rejection knowing it's silly and that Claire was probably right about this. The more she thought about it the more she considered that her own house would probably have similar precautions.

"Hey Claire," Charlie said. Claire smiled and waved as she walked to Charlie. He was sitting alone in the common room. She was surprised. She walked by his room and expected him to be with his typical group. He wasn't there though, and she finally found him. It was also odd to see him alone; he almost never was by himself while he was … well, really anywhere.

"Hey," Claire said, sitting down by Charlie. "How are you?"

Charlie groaned and closed his eyes. He started to rub his head. "I'm actually not feeling too great. I haven't since I left the upperclassmen lecture. It was just a few hours ago now. I have a miserable headache - hence the reason I'm alone." Charlie said.

Claire definitely got the hint, but chose to ignore it. "Ah, I'm sorry to hear that. What was the lecture on?" Claire asked, treading carefully. While she was pretty positive Charlie wouldn't disclose her sneaking into the lecture - she wasn't entirely sure.

Charlie open his mouth, but then paused. He sat there, looking off into the distance for a few moments. He finally said, very slowly, "You know… I… don't know. I can't remember … anything, really."

"Charlie, what's wrong?" Claire asked. Charlie shook his head. "I don't know. Guess I just have a headache," he said.

Claire wasn't sure what to ask him next… She was so annoyed with herself for telling Nyssa to stay behind. She sat there awkwardly, waiting for Charlie to bring up something else. "OH! That's right. Huh, weird. It was supposed to be a lecture on the Faeries, just the history and such. We all thought it was just going to be the same old thing. Professor Verra was the lecturer, so it was a toss up. I guess she couldn't make it, so they cancelled the lecture." Charlie told Claire.

Claire nodded and smiled. She wasn't sure how much this information would help, but it at least was a step in the right direction. Charlie gave her a quizzical look, "Wait. Why? How did you even know there was a lecture?"

All good feelings were gone. Claire swallowed and said in a small voice, "Well… I was there."

Charlie smiled. "Oh! I didn't know you took upper level classes! That's grand. We can walk to class next time if you would like."

Claire nervously laughed. That was hardly accurate. However, she decided to go with it, hoping this would be the end of their conversation. "Uh… Yeah! Definitely. I have to go, readings for tomorrow," she paused, laughing again, "...Ugh. Well, uh… Bye Charlie!"

Charlie smiled and waved. He closed his eyes and put his head back on the couch. Claire quickly walked back to her room, eager to tell Nyssa what happened.

She spent the first few moments alone looking around the room and fidgeting restlessly. She realizes what she is doing and forces herself to sit on the bed. She pulls out her phone and sends a text to Carly and Simone seeing if they were feeling better. That being done she grips her knees forcing her hands to be still. She didn't like not knowing what happened, and her mind was racing along with the beat pounding in her head.

There had to be some way of figuring out what they missed. She tears her eyes away from her violer covered hands unclenching them from her legs and takes a deep breath. She would wait for Claire and see what information she was able to gather.

Nyssa was lying on Claire's bed as her cousin comes back in. She groans softly having been half alseep. "What did he say?" She rolls to her side and props herself up on an elbow.

Claire pulled her desk chair out and sat in it so she was facing Nyssa. She sat down and sighed, both happy and perplexed. "Charlie wasn't feeling well either. He didn't seem to recall the lecture right away, but, eventually he did. He said the lecture was supposed to be about the faeries. Professor Verra was the lecturer, but she didn't not show up for whatever reason, so it was cancelled." Claire told Nyssa.

"So it was cancelled? That's pretty strange. They don't usually do something like that. Do you think there was some kind of magical interference or danger from the storm or something?" Nyssa pauses for a moment. "Wait, that storm. That was really strange. I know that within Neamnhi the headmistress can control the weather as she sees fit."

Nyssa grows quiet as she runs through the possibilities in her head each more dramatic than the last. She looks at Claire wondering about her conclusions.

Claire, not really knowing what to say or do, offered a shrug. "I'm sorry, Nyssa. But, I don't know anymore than you do. I probably know less, … This whole magical world thing; it's still very new to me. It's hard to say if there was a magical interference. But, I don't think it's a stretch to say there was _some_ kind of danger at the lecture. What it was, I don't know. But I think we can be certain that something happened."

"You're right. I'm sorry for assuming." Nyssa admits.

"As I see it. We have two options. Try and figure out what happened or just replace the lecture with our own research. One is much harder than the others." Nyssa grins her eyes gleaming with a hint of her preference.

Claire gave Nyssa a leery glance. "And how would you suggest we go about this... research?" Claire questioned.

Nyssa sits up. "I knew you'd want to do it too." The eager look on her face spoke volumes of her intentions. "Alright. So, I've been wanting to get into the lower levels of the library for a while now. You know, where they have all the banned and restricted books and records? I've always wondered why they keep the creepy and forbidden things underground. You'd think that they'd keep them in a high tower or not at all. I mean if they really want to hide the information they would keep it somewhere where there is no chance of getting to it. It's like sitting there begging to be discovered by someone that cares enough." Nyssa waves her hands excitedly. "I bet those books haven't been handled in forever!"

"Nyssa breathe!" Claire laughs. "You are completely off topic."

"Oh, yeah. You're right." Nyssa smiles at her cousin."Uh."

"You were talking about your plan to get in...?" Claire added helpfully.

"Right. So I think the access is keyed to the professor's gloves just like our access to our respective towers." She holds up her gloved hand to emphasize her point. "So all we need to do is figure out how to replicate the key and viola we are in."

Claire blinked at Nyssa and stared at her for a few moments. "Uh… Nyssa. What?"

"What do you mean what?" She looks at Claire confused. .

Claire gave out an exasperated and dramatic sigh. She got up and started to pace back and forth. "Nyssa… How did you even know that? Are you sure? How can this even work?"

"Oh. You mean about the library access being keyed to a specific access spell on the gloves of the professors?" Nyssa scoots back a little and crosses her legs. "I haven't really worked through the thought process, but it would make sense right? Each student has a specific access keyed to them through the gloves to their towers. I can't imagine the founders of the school creating a whole separate system for the professors. I mean you've noticed by now they all wear gloves associated with their departments but highly customized. It's just like in the government in that they have a card that carries a magical and technological signal for security and access is keyed to specific combinations but it's the same for janitors and executives." Nyssa took a breath.

"Therefore I am guessing that all access in this school would be built around the same framework, hence the gloves." Nyssa smirks. "And that, my dear cousin, is our way in."

"The only problem is access." She takes off her glove and drops it on the floor. After a couple moments it vanishes in a mist of mites. "See we can't exactly just ask for a glove. And even if we find one it won't last long." She reaches into the pocket of her robe and pulls out a new glove that Neamnhi had provided to her and pulls it on.

Claire, still stunned by the newness of the world, looked at Nyssa. "But, how… How did you do that? Do all gloves do that?"

"Yeah. Didn't they tell you that the first day? I spent some time figuring out how long they lasted and the extent of Neamnhi's ability to replace them. Haven't found any times where it's failed me. You try it. It might take longer though since it's your room. If you drop them or lose them either you'll find them quickly or they'll disappear and be replaced." Nyssa shrugs. "Don't ask how. I don't know the spell. It's pretty awesome though."

Claire looked at Nyssa. With a somber look, she straightened up and began to peel her glove off of her hand. Gently she tugged on it. The glove fell limp in her other hand. Claire pinched the glove between her fingers and held it in the air. She dropped it and watched it fall to the floor. As expected, the glove laid on the floor. She looked at her watch and counted the second. Exactly a minute later, Claire's glove vanished from the floor. She shifted from foot to foot, then reached into her robe pocket. Sure enough, a new glove appeared. Claire held it up and looked at it. It was identical to the one that had just vanished.

"Hmm. Charlie failed to tell us this," Claire said. She paused and shook her head. "But this even further proves your point. How on earth are we ever going to find a glove? It's not like we can create one, or a professor would simply hand it over to us. I want to research this as bad as you. But, is it possible?" Claire questioned Nyssa.

"That's what we need to figure out. We need to figure out how to get a glove from a professor, figure out how to keep it around, research the spell that gives us access, and then duplicate it." Nyssa ticks each of the items off on her fingers then grins wickedly at Claire. "And still pass all our classes. Not sure if a Mahdre Kur can do that, but I guess I've been surprised so far."

"Like really, who would've thought you don't actually sleep in an open floor?" Nyssa teases.

Claire glared at Nyssa, but resisted smiling. "Okay then… Guess we should get to it. Where do we start?"

Nyssa looks at her blankly for a moment having gotten caught up in detailing the process that she had come up with. "Oh. Uh." The reality and magnitude of the task finally hit her and her posture sagged. "I don't know." She says quietly. "We can't really ask anyone to help us. It wouldn't be fair to drag them into this."

Claire looked at Nyssa. She leaned against the wall and rested her weight against it. She quietly thought, trying to create a practical plan. "Well, what do we need to do?" Claire asked aloud, mostly talking to herself. She started to walk back and forth; her strides slow and steady. Claire stopped, shook her head, and walked straight towards her nightstand. She grabbed her journal, ripping a few pages from it. She dropped down onto the floor and began to organize her thoughts. She scribbled what she thought would be the best order for her and Nyssa to successfully find a glove and keep it preserved long enough to make it to the restricted library.

She looked over the outline for a few moments, nodding, shaking her heading, and contemplating whether it was the most accurate plan or not. She looked up at Nyssa, who was still laying on her bed, and faced her.

"We need to find a professor that will give us the time of day. Once we do, we can build a relationship with that professor. They'll eventually gain trust in us; and when the opportunity presents itself...heh, and, we're _actually_ ready, we can take it. I suppose we both could; or only one of us needs to do it," Claire confidently explained. She said with measured words, "We just need to be selective. While this relationship is forming, we need to learn how to preserve the glove. I'm sure we can find a spell in this book somewhere." Claire grabbed the spell book that was next to Nyssa. She paused and looked at Nyssa. "Do you think it's possible that we could modify our gloves to make them have access to the restricted library? I don't know if there's a spell or something we could find to do this. If there is, we might not have to worry about befriending a professor." Claire explained.

Almost before her cousin was finished speaking, "I'm not sure what professor we could get close to. Maybe we can talk to Aunt Elizabeth and Mom and Dad and find a professor that liked them, if any are still here. Preferably one that teaches a class that we have together." She glances at the book Claire is turning over in her hands. "There isn't anything of that level in that book. Trust me, I've looked through all of it within the first month." She grins.

Claire gently smiled at Nyssa and said, "So.. Do you think we could find a spellbook that would have higher leveled spells? I think if we found one, we could really just use one of our gloves."

"Probably. Wait, what do you mean use one of our gloves? We don't have access to those parts of the library."

"Correct. Let's see if a spell exists that will make our gloves have access." Claire said tartly.

Nyssa was a little taken aback by the brusqueness of Claire but as the idea sank in she became more excited, "You are right you know. That's actually brilliant. We would only have to pick the lock, so to speak. Bloody brilliant." She claps a hand over her mouth in horror.

"All we have to do is find the right combination and it would be harder without access to an actual key but maybe there is a way to magically decipher what's going on at the access points. We could almost use our own access to our respective towers to familiarize ourselves. So, like, making it so we can visit each other without escorts." She smiles excitedly. "You ready?"

Claire nodded eagerly and said curiously, "Yes! I've always wondered what you Azeriors are up to…" she continued, "So, should we head to the library and see what we can find?"

"I see what you did there. Because of the hawk mascot." Nyssa nods. "Yeah. It'll be a decent excuse to do homework then too." She gets up putting her planner back into her bag, the headache was all but forgotten now.

Claire and Nyssa walked towards the school's large library. Nyssa led the way; clearly knowing it much better than Claire.

Though they had both been here before, entering the library was always awe inspiring. The school's library was almost an exact replica of the Trinity Library in Dublin. It had never been clear to Nyssa which Trinity was the real one but it didn't really matter much. The dark wood and the high ceiling that dominated the center of the library drew the eye upwards, where ghostly fragments and magic danced silently in some long lost waltz.

A warm shiver makes its way down Nyssa's spine followed by goosebumps as she takes it all in. This was one of her favorite places no matter which world it was in. This one has side rooms and nooks and niches and more levels than she was allowed to explore beneath the main floor compared to the other one. She glances at Claire who was also staring and touches her cousin's gloved wrist lightly.

They two girls zig-zagged through the maze-like shelves. Claire's eyes were wide as she took the library in for the the very first time. She admittedly had never been to the school's library before. While she had heard the library was quite spectacular, but it was unlike anything she could have possibly imagined. The rows were long; they seemed to go on forever. They were covered with books, there wasn't a blank spot in site. The books were stacked as high as they could go on the shelves - each shelf had a large, wooden ladder to reach the books higher on the shelf. Claire looked up and noticed the height of the shelves were equally as impressive. While the library was simple, it still held an elegance. The wood was a deep, chocolate brown coloring. Intricate carvings were precisely made into the wooden beams and shelves. Claire was impressed by the library; there was no way she could deny its beauty. Claire smirked as she realized how remarkably similar the Dublin School of Magic library was to the Trinity College library. When she was young, her father took her there a few times. It was amazing; it seemed to be a replica. She was in awe - she made a mental note to come back to study here, even after her and Nyssa were finished with their little adventure. That reminded Claire why she was in the library in the first place. She quickly looked back towards Nyssa. She noticed she was a bit behind, so she quickly picked up her pace so she wouldn't lose her. Then, after a good five minutes of walking, Nyssa immediately stopped and peered down the aisle. She slowly perused the shelves, skimming her hands along the binding of the books as she carefully read the titles. She stopped and narrowed her eyes.

"Did you find something, Nyssa?" Claire asked.

Nyssa doesn't respond at first. She had spotted an upper level History of Magic book and pulled it off the shelf to flip through it.

"Oh. Uh, no." She puts the book back trying to regain her previous train of thought; it takes her a moment as she stares without seeing out the stained glass window. "Oh right." She keeps walking as her mind returns to the purpose of their visit.

Nyssa pauses and ponders quietly as a new possibility pops into her head. "This way." She sets off back to the main aisle instead of deeper into the library. She finds one of the library monitors walking with a few books to reshelve and stops him.

"Excuse me? We are doing our first year group project on the origins of lock spells. Do you know where we can find books for that?"

The Azerior boy, denoted by his purple gloves, furrows his brow in thought for a moment. "Sure thing. Second sub-basement would be where you could find what you need."

Nyssa mutters thanks and makes a beeline for the stairs to the lower level halting as she passes a book in a glass case with shifting colors.

The writing was old gaelic that's for sure but the colors were still as vibrant as the day they were made. She hadn't noticed this one before. The nameplate slot for the display case was empty. She looks at the illustration in the book again watching the paint and colors shift to depict a tall thin creature with pointy ears reach up into a tree. Maybe it was a fae. It must be.

Claire looks over Nyssa's shoulder. "Is that it?" Claired asked.  
Nyssa doesn't respond right away.  
Claire rolls her eyes and grabs her cousin's hand. "You are the most distractible person I know when it comes to books. Come on."

Nyssa takes a last look and follows Claire down the several flights of well lit and bright stairs to the second sub-basement.  
Floor to ceiling shelves set in perfect rows stretch before them at almost twice the distance of the main aisle they had just left. Claire groans at the sheer number of books, but Nyssa closes her mouth before she drools all over the floor.

Nyssa turns to her cousin with a grin. "Looks like we will be here all night. Hope you brought food and a map." She teases as she marches up to the circular help desk on that floor where a bored looking upper-level Skirithar student is doing homework.

"Excuse me? How do I find what I need on this floor?" The student waves a hand at the wall behind and to the left that they had walked by on the way in. This time instead of books the wall had a card catalogue system set in hundreds of little drawers.

Nyssa glances at Claire. This time she was the one to groan.

Claire did not acknowledge her cousin's remark as she walked towards the tall, wooden chiffonier. She tried her best not to frown but found it to be too challenge; she knew this would hardly be enjoyable. Claire let out a small sigh and looked at Nyssa. She too also seemed despaired by the task at hand. She sighed again and asked, "Well, where do we start?"

Nyssa pulled out her wand. With a flick, she said, "Nunc apparent," and immediately, the drawers she pointed at opened. She walked towards the drawer and picked up a card. She then picked up another, followed by another card. Finally, Nyssa said,"Well, they seem to be in alphabetical order. This row….," she paused while pointing to the row, "is the 'L' row. It looks like there are three drawers we should look through. I suppose if you see anything that might be helpful; we can find that book." Nyssa groaned again. "This is going to take a while."

Claire sighed - she nodded and gave a disapproving face at the task at hand. She then sheepishly smiled at Nyssa. "Well, let's get started." Nyssa returned the smile and continued to rummage through the hundreds of cards in the open drawer.


End file.
